The Heir
by Dragon eye21
Summary: They say knowledge is power. But is there such a thing as too much Knowledge? Warning: Dumble bashing and as this will progress through all of Harry's Hogwarts years there will be Slash. Note: Please ignore the chapter glitches for now I'm still fixing it. MPREG WARNING!
1. Chapter 1: No Way!

**Disclaimer: **The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me

**A/N: **To all my fans that have been following The Power To Change do not worry. I am still working on that I'm just experiencing a little writers block with it at the moment so I decided to start in on this. I will be continuing TPTC so don't fret. Well enjoy the story and lemme know what you think guys! I hope you like it.

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><p>CHAPTER ONE: NO WAY!<p>

"Yes Aunt Petunia." The too skinny ten year old Harry Potter said as clearly as possible with swollen lip. He knew that mumbling would only cause the woman to slap him on the back of his head… or hand him off to Uncle Vernon for punishment.

Thankfully she was too distracted by her cleaning frenzy to notice the little mumbling he did do because of his lip. His Aunt was currently too absorbed in her cleaning frenzy for Dudley's birthday tomorrow and she had just charged Harry with scrubbing the tiles in the kitchen. He quickly made his way into the kitchen and grabbed the cleaning supplies from beneath the kitchen sink. While he scrubbed he quietly wondered why his Aunt was cleaning at all given the fact that the house was always in pristine condition. The furniture even had plastic covers on them. Quietly sighing in resignation he went about his work.

"Petunia!" Came a thundering voice as the door opened. Harry turned his head slightly and saw Uncle Vernon fumbling in through the door with at least a dozen bags in his arms. "Help me with these before Dudley gets home."

"Coming Vernon." Petunia said as she bustled towards the front door to help Uncle Vernon take the bags upstairs so they could hide them until tomorrow. Neither of them so much as glanced at Harry as he continued to scrub the kitchen tiles.

It wasn't long though before they came back down. Petunia went back to cleaning the living room while Vernon thundered into the kitchen. Harry tensed as the man walked by but he kept working, knowing that if he stopped the man would notice him and punish him for not doing as he was told. Vernon seemed pretty intent on his goal though since he didn't even so much as glance at Harry. He went straight to the refrigerator and made himself a sandwich. Unfortunately for Harry Vernon didn't use a plate and when the man walked back across the kitchen his sandwich dripped all over the floor.

"Can't you do anything right!" Petunia screeched just as Harry went to clean up the new mess. She walked across the kitchen and smacked Harry on the back of the head. "Go to your cupboard boy I'll do it myself!"

"Yes Aunt Petunia." Harry said as he got up to go to his cupboard.

He was once again thankful that his Aunt was too enamored with her cleaning in order to notice his speech. Harry quickly made his way to his cupboard under the stairs and got inside before she could changer he mind and have Vernon punish him.

–Scene Break–

Harry spent the remainder of the day in his cupboard. He didn't even go out to get something to eat since he knew he wouldn't be given anything anyway. The next day he was even locked in the cupboard so he didn't infect his cousin's birthday with his supposed freakishness. He honestly didn't know what made him such a freak. He did everything they asked and tried to be good but for some reason it just wasn't good enough. Harry sighed as he amused himself with the few broken toys he had managed to keep hidden. He had a feeling they wouldn't be letting him out any time soon so he might as well entertain himself.

He was right too. They didn't let him out of the cupboard for the rest of the day and half way through the next morning. Harry was forced to relieve himself in the empty jars that were in the cupboard with him. He didn't like doing that but he had no choice. When his Aunt finally let him out of his cupboard she set him about cooking breakfast and then cleaning up the dishes when he was done. It wasn't until that afternoon when something strange happened.

"Go and get the mail boy!" Uncle Vernon barked after hearing the mail slot flap open and shut.

"Yes Uncle Vernon." Harry said almost mechanically as he got up from once again scrubbing the kitchen tiles and went to the front door.

Harry picked up the mail and froze. There sitting on the top of the pile was an envelope addressed to him. He was utterly stunned. He knew of absolutely no one that would be sending him any mail. Suddenly his brain kicked into gear and he knew he had to hide the letter before anyone else saw it. Thankfully his cupboard door was open just a crack. Heading back into the living room he quickly slipped the letter into the cupboard without anyone noticing.

"Bout time boy!" Vernon growled when Harry handed him the mail.

"Sorry Uncle Vernon." Harry said before he went back to scrubbing the tiles. Though he went about his chores as they were assigned to him Harry's mind was forever on that mysterious letter hidden away in his cupboard.

–Scene Break–

Later that night after everyone had gone to bed Harry opened his letter. Given that he had never before received anything in the mail before Harry was quite nervous. However his nervousness was overshadowed by his desire to see what the letter held and he quickly ripped open the envelope.

Ten minutes later he was staring dumbfounded at the underside of the stairs. The letter had just told him that he was not a freak but, in fact, a wizard. It stated that he had been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He couldn't believe it but it actually explained quite a lot actually. Strange things always happened around him for some reason. Things shattered or disappeared when he was angry. One time he had even ended up on top of his school when he was running away from bullies at school.

Suddenly a small note slipped out from the envelope that hung loosely in his limp hand. It drew his attention as it fluttered quietly to the floor. Still rather dumbfounded Harry spent several minutes just staring down at the innocent looking piece of paper on the floor in front of his crossed legs. Somehow he knew that, despite the seemingly benign contents of the letter he had just read, he knew this little note held nothing good. Eventually though he picked it up and read it.

_Petunia,_

_Bring Harry to the corner of Charing Cross Road and Shaftesbury Ave tomorrow at three._

The note was unsigned but Harry hardly noticed. His thoughts were centering on one single notion. They knew. _THEY KNEW!_ He couldn't believe it. Harry was furious. It may have explained why they called him a freak but it was definitely NO excuse for the way they treated him. Harry began breathing heavily as his heart rate and fury increased and it took every ounce of his self control to calm down so he didn't wake his relatives by making something explode. Looking down at the note once again Harry looked at the meeting place. He knew Charing Cross Road. It had been one of the very few times the Dursley's had taken him out of the house. It was roughly a few hours' drive from the house.

Making up his mind Harry grabbed the worn and torn bag he used for school and left his cupboard. He snuck his way into the kitchen as quietly as humanly possible and made his way to the cupboards containing non-perishables. After packing enough snacks to last a little while he crept his way to the front door and quietly left the house. Once he had shut the door behind him he swiftly got as far away as possible before he settled down to a comfortable walk. He knew that the Dursley's would never take him to meet whoever put that note in the letter. Hell they'd probably whip him simply for getting the letter in the first place let alone actually letting him go to this Hogwarts. Thus he was running away. A few hours' drive would mean he'd have to walk most of the day in order to get where he was going but he would manage.

–Scene Break–

It was just before three the next day when a very weary and tired Harry Potter got to corner Charing Cross where the note had said to be. He found a bench and sat down heavily. His feet were killing him and he hoped that whoever was picking him up didn't have any more walking planned. While he sat there waiting he couldn't help but wonder if he had done the right thing. After all the letter had said that the school term wouldn't start until September first and it was only July 24th. He had no idea how he was going to survive for over a month.

"'Arry?" Came a big booming voice from over the din of the city traffic. He looked up to see the largest man he'd ever seen lumbering down the sidewalk towards him with a smile that was mostly hidden by the man's big bushy black beard that went half way down his torso. The man could've easily towered over Uncle Vernon several times over. "Blimey is that you? I haven't seen you since you was a baby."

"Uh…" Harry said elegantly as he stared up at the man that was now towering over _him_.

"Oh where are my manners?" The man boomed. "My name is Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. You can call me Hagrid, everyone does."

"Hi." Harry said as he started to get over his shock. The mention of Hogwarts actually got through his foggy brain and he smiled slightly. "I'd introduce myself but you apparently already know who I am."

Hagrid laughed at that. "That I do 'Arry. What'd ya say we go get something to eat? We'll do our shopping tomorrow."

Harry smiled bigger at that, he really didn't want to do much more walking. He got up and followed the man as he walked down the sidewalk. He stoically ignored his sore feet and did his best not to wince as he walked. The man, Hagrid, may have seemed nice but he wasn't ready for anyone to know that he had run away just yet.

Hagrid led Harry to a pub tucked away near the entrance to an alley. No one seemed to even notice the place as they walked by. There weren't any windows and the door was black so Harry wasn't entirely surprised at the lack of attention. The sign above the door shifted to reveal a cauldron with the name Leaky Cauldron written on it. Inside the pub was rather empty and there were only a few people scattered throughout enjoying meals and drinks alike. A few people looked up when they entered but they obviously didn't think Hagrid was unusual given that they went back to their meals and conversations.

"Afternoon Hagrid!" The bartender said as he went about cleaning a mug with a rag. "Your usual?"

"Along with a couple of rooms, Tom." Hagrid elaborated with a nod. "Young 'Arry and I will be staying until the start of term."

When he heard that Harry nearly collapsed with relief but he managed to stay on his face and maintain a straight face. He wouldn't have to worry about surviving for a month on his own.

Unfortunately at the mention of his name the entire room went silent. Harry felt a chill run down his spine as everyone in the room turned to look at him. Before he could do more than blink he was enraptured by handshakes, hugs, pats on the back, and various other praises. He had no idea why this was happening but from the scattered phrases that he managed to catch he figured that somehow he had managed to do something that everyone was grateful about but for the life of him he had no idea what.

"Alright, alright!" Hagrid boomed over the crowed after a few minutes. "That's enough! Leave him be!" Almost immediately the crowd started to disperse and Hagrid led him to an empty table where they began to eat the meal that was soon brought over to them.

"Uh… Hagrid?" Harry said after a few minutes of silent eating. "What exactly was that all about?"

"Well you're famous Harry." Hagrid said actually managing to pronounce the 'H' in Harry's name.

"But why?" Harry said biting back a snide remark about how it was rather obvious that he was famous.

Over the rest of dinner Hagrid explained the reasoning behind Harry's fame. By the time Harry had retired to the room Hagrid had gotten him he was silent and thoughtful. He now knew, partly, why he lived with people who frankly wanted nothing to do with him. However he couldn't get past the question that if he was so popular then why wasn't he left with someone who would at least care properly for him? Especially if the Dursley's obviously didn't want or even _like_ him.

Sighing in confusion Harry climbed into his bed and went to sleep. He couldn't figure out the answers to his questions now without more information. Slowly Harry managed to drift off to sleep, however it was far from restful.

–Scene Break–

Harry woke with a start the next morning from probably the strangest dream he had ever had. All he could remember of it was a lot of fighting, a war he presumed, and then a massive castle rising out of the chaos. That was when he woke up. Not able to make heads or tails of the strange dream Harry put it out of his head for now and got up to get ready for the day.

"G' morning Harry." Hagrid boomed when he saw Harry coming down the stairs

"Morning Hagrid." Harry said with a sleepy smile. He was actually beginning to like the large man. He may come off as a bit unorthodox and strange but he was kind and friendly. He tried to be gentle but his size and the overall boisterous demeanor he had tended to undermine that.

"I was beginning to wonder if ye were going to come down this morning." Hagrid said as Harry settled down next to him. "It's almost ten."

"Yeah," Harry smiled sheepishly. "Had a rather busy day yesterday before I was dropped off and I was really tired." Harry said after he ordered some breakfast.

"That's alright Harry." Hagrid said with a smile peaking through his bushy black beard. "I'd have woken ye up around noon to go shopping though. Best to get that done and out of the way as soon as possible before the stores get too crowded."

Harry nodded in understanding since his mouth was full. He continued to eat his breakfast as Hagrid read a newspaper he'd never heard of before. He just managed to catch the title on the front as Hagrid turned the page; _The Daily Prophet_. Harry saw the pictures on the front page moving and he nearly chocked. Even with the idea of magic being real Harry had never suspected that pictures would move. Though once he thought about it he realized he should've expected such a thing, especially if this new world was different from the one he was used to, which he figured it would be. Marveling at the wonders of magic Harry went back to his breakfast.

When he was finished Hagrid led Harry out the back door of the pub and proceeded to tap a series of bricks, which Harry dutifully memorized, on a brick wall. He was then thoroughly amazed when the brick wall started moving and shifting. It was one thing to be told magic was real, it was another to see moving pictures (which, though fascinating, weren't that impressive when it came to proof of magic) however seeing an entire brick wall move of its own accord, seemingly without any other help, was far more convincing.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley Harry." Hagrid said when the bricks stopped moving and revealed a doorway. Looking through Harry saw a wide crooked path leading away from them. A giant marble building stood the tallest among the other buildings at the far end of the alley.

"Um… Hagrid?" Harry said a little nervously as they began walking down the street. "I don't have any money. How am I supposed to pay for all of my supplies?"

"What've those muggles been filling your head with?" Hagrid said with some slight surprise as he looked down at Harry, though he missed the way Harry had stiffened slightly at his words. "Your money's there." Hagrid pointed to the large white marble building they seemed to be heading for. "Gringotts, the Wizarding Bank. Not one safer place, 'cept at Hogwarts."

Harry made an understanding sound accompanied with a head nod. Then, to distract the man further from talk of his relatives, he asked, "Muggles?"

"Non magic folk," Hagrid explained. "We'll get ya your money and then we'll get to the shopping."

Fifteen minutes later Harry was standing rather dazedly on a stool in a clothing shop as a friendly and petite witch that appeared to be in her late twenties took his measurements. Her name was Madam Malkin and was apparently the owner of the robe shop. However Harry's dazedness wasn't due to the witch and her rather amusing antics. No, his mind was currently dwelling on the fact that he was apparently rich. He had been rendered speechless and had almost fainted when he saw the vault full of golden coins, Galleons Hagrid had told him. Hagrid had also informed him that the bronze and silver coins that were there as well were called Knut's and Sickles respectively. Once again Harry couldn't help but wonder why he had been left with people who didn't want him. Monetary support was obviously not an issue, surely someone better suiting could've been found. Even Hagrid would've done. The man obviously cared for Harry and was friends of his parents as well given the stories he told when Harry had subtly prompted him.

"Are you going to Hogwarts this year as well?" A smooth and friendly voice interrupted Harry's thoughts. Harry looked over to see a blond boy standing on the stool next to him. The boy had aristocratic features and silvery grey eyes that held a curious spark to them and very small friendly smile on his face.

"Yes I am." Harry responded with a slight smile of his own. Hagrid was currently off running another errand since he couldn't comfortably fit in the shop so Harry decided to take this chance to get a feel for whom he would be attending school with. Besides Draco may have an air of haughtiness about him but he actually seemed like a good person and may make a good friend. "I take it you are as well?"

Harry spent the next hour, while getting fitted for robes, listening to the boy, whom he learned was named Draco Malfoy, prattle on about Hogwarts and its houses. Draco seemed especially enthralled with the house called Slytherin. Apparently his entire family had been in the house for generations. He even went on about how the house was the best house at Hogwarts and he seemed very impassioned about it and though Harry had no doubt that the other boy believed what he was saying Harry detected a slight hint of practice to the speech. It made Harry wonder if Draco truly adored the house or was simply keeping up a public façade. The boy's family was obviously rich and held power, if the way Madam Malkin doted upon him was any indication, so it would make sense that they had to keep up some sort of appearance. Harry idly made a note to find a _Daily Prophet_ so he could learn a little more about the politics and other aspects of the Wizarding World.

–Scene Break–

After getting his school supplies the rest of Harry's summer was actually rather dull and boring. He had learned his birthday was on July 31st when Hagrid had surprised him with a small and private little party in the pub after it had closed. Hagrid had even gotten Harry a birthday cake and a present in the form of a snowy owl, which Harry promptly named Hedwig. The depth of intelligence in the owl's eyes astounded Harry and her general attitude clearly said she'd claw the eyes out of anyone that approached her wrong. She had taken an instant liking to Harry and had proceeded to nibble at Harry's ear and running his hair through her beak when Harry had opened the cage to let her out to try and get to know her.

August was spent in varying states of boredom or exploration as Harry either explored Diagon Alley with Hagrid or stayed in the Leaky Cauldron to get a jump start on his studies or to read a few of the non required texts he had gotten. When Hagrid wasn't looking Harry had snuck a copy of _The Daily Prophet_ to read in his room. After sending out a few galleons for a subscription Harry read the paper he had and was rather shocked to find that he was on the front page. There was nothing more than speculation and gossip, most of which was outrageous and fantastical at best. He had snorted at the idea of him set up in a glorious mansion and was waited upon hand and foot by servants and house elves (whatever those were) alike. It was obvious to Harry that the Wizarding World had no idea what his life was really like and he had a feeling that they would all be hounding him about something or another.

When September first rolled around Harry was anxious and practically vibrating with nervous energy. Hagrid had just dropped him off at Kings Cross Station with his ticket and left, claiming that he needed to take care of something for Dumbledore, Hogwarts Headmaster. Harry figured it was something to do with the small stone looking package that Hagrid took from Gringotts when he thought Harry wasn't paying attention. Now Harry was currently wandering the station with Hedwig snoozing in her cage that was on top of his trunk on the trolley and looking for the platform he needed though he doubted he'd find it without any help. The ticket said he needed Platform 9 ¾ but there wasn't any such platform in the station. He would've asked the conductor that was walking about helping people but knew that the man would just think him crazy.

Harry figured that there must be some sort of portal that was hidden from muggle eyes but he honestly didn't know where it was. That is until he heard someone speaking about muggles. He turned and saw a bunch of red hair walking towards one of the pillars that separated platforms nine and ten. Harry stood at a distance and quietly watched as the family disappeared one by one into the stone pillar between the two platforms. Harry grinned slightly. It was quite ingenious really. It was in plain sight and obviously had spells on it to prevent any non magical being from noticing.

Once the red headed family was all the way through the gateway Harry stepped up and walked through confidently, though he was still rather nervous about everything. Pushing aside his fears and the rationality that said he'd crash and continued walking until he was on the other side of the pillar. Hedwig didn't even seem to notice anything and continued her dozing. Harry handed her to the conductor that was taking all the pets of the children that were on the platform and took his trunk and boarded the train. He wandered farther and farther down the train until he managed to find an empty compartment.

Closing the compartment door behind him Harry drew the blinds down and set his trunk on the seat. He quickly dug out his new school robes and the boots he had gotten. Unbeknownst to Hagrid, Harry had snuck into Diagon Alley a few days after they had finished his school shopping and had gone back to Madam Malkin's to get some regular every day robes along with a complete set of undergarments. He had then gone to a cobbler he had seen down the street and got a couple pairs of boots to wear instead of the worn and holey sneakers that the Dursleys had given him several years prior.

After changing into his robes and boots Harry stowed his trunk in the rack above the seats and retracted the blinds on the compartments windows and opened the door. He didn't want anyone to think that he was antisocial or anything. On the contrary he was rather looking forward to making a few friends without Dudley around to bully everyone into avoiding him. Several people passed his door, obviously in search of their friends, but none of them stopped. Eventually he got bored and amused himself by watching the people mill about on the platform outside his window. He laughed slightly when he saw children smothered in hugs by their mothers and then boarded the train with beet red faces.

"Something amusing?" A smooth and sarcastic voice Harry was very familiar with said. After all he had spent at least an hour listening to Draco ramble on about Slytherin House.

"Indeed." Harry said with a smirk as he turned from the window to see Draco, already dressed in his school robes like Harry, leaning against the doorway with an amused smirk on his face. "It is quite entertaining to watch people turn red in embarrassment."

Draco laughed at that and Harry found that he rather liked the sound. "Something we can agree upon." Draco said as he straightened and walked to the seat across from Harry and sat down. "You know, I never did get your name the other day when we were in Madam Malkin's."

"My apologies." Harry said with a teasing smirk. "But it was quite educational listening to you talk about Hogwarts."

"I see," Draco said with a calculating look in his eyes but the smirk on his face told Harry that he was enjoying the banter. "Well am I going to get your name or do I just have to call you 'robe store boy'?"

Harry chuckled and his smirk turned into a fully fledged smile. "Well I could tell you I suppose but I wouldn't be surprised if you already know my name." Harry toyed. He didn't really want to tell Draco his name for fear of the boy worshiping him like a god because of his fame.

"I think I'll call you evasive boy instead." Draco jested but had an eyebrow risen in annoyance.

"Alright," Harry said raising his hands in defeat though the amused smile on his face never went away. "My name is Harry Potter."

"Yeah," Draco said sarcastically all amusement draining from his voice. He clearly didn't believe Harry. "And I'm Merlin. Come on be serious. If you're not going to tell me just say so."

Harry raised a hand and brushed aside his untamable black hair that was hiding his scar. One thing the _Prophet_ had gotten accurate about his description in the many gossip articles about him was his scar. Harry knew that the entire world would now be able to recognize just by looking at his forehead so he did his best to keep it hidden and covered by his hair. He watched as shock spread across Draco's face when he saw the scar.

"I'm sure you can guess my reasoning behind not telling you out right who I am." Harry said as he recovered his scar, all amusement draining from his demeanor. "Then again you grew up with wealth, power, and fame whereas I… didn't." Harry turned to look back out the window and saw that the train had left the station and was moving out of the city and into the country side. He didn't mean to be rude towards Draco but he hadn't realized just how much he resented living with the Dursleys.

"Rumor is that you spent the past ten years being pampered." Draco said somewhat calmly but there was still shock lining his voice, along with something Harry couldn't place but sounded like… gratitude?

Harry sneered but kept looking out the window in an attempt to remain calm. "If I was being pampered the last ten years I'd hate to see what hell looks like."

Hearing the honest contempt and pain in Harry's voice made Draco's heart clench and he realized that not only were the papers and rumors dead wrong about the savior before him but that he cared for the other boy as if he were a lifelong friend.

"Well we have an entire train ride a head of us; do you want to talk about it?" Draco said and Harry heard actual concern in his voice but not a single trace of starry eyed amazement. Harry had always been a little more sensitive towards what other people were feeling. Growing up in a house with volatile relatives that would beat you at a drop of a hat made it necessary for him to always be aware of the emotions in the room so he knew when to stay as unobtrusive as possible.

"I don't know." Harry said turning to look at Draco with a serious but accepting look on his face. "Can I trust you not to go blabbing to the press the second you get a chance?"

"I'm offended you would suggest such a thing." Draco said with mock offense in his voice. His antics were rewarded when Harry smiled slightly. "However I suppose I could forgive you considering that others have done such things. I'll have you know that the Malfoy family has many secrets so I can most certainly handle yours."

Harry looked long and hard into Draco's eyes. For his part Draco sat there passively and allowed the assessment. After several minutes Harry decided that he could trust Draco. He saw nothing but honest sincerity in Draco's eyes so he told. Harry told Draco everything about his home life from the time he could remember. The two of them got lost in Harry's tale and the more Harry told the more outraged Draco became though he did his best to control it. The tale took up most of the train ride and they were interrupted as the sun was setting and just as Harry had ended his tale with him running away to meet Hagrid.

"Have either of you seen a toad?" A bushy haired, bucktoothed, girl said opening up the compartment door and startling them both. "A boy named Neville seems to have lost one."

"Sorry." Harry said with a polite and apologetic smile.

"Alright then, thanks." The girl said before leaving Harry and Draco alone once again.

"Well that was random." Harry said after a few minutes of staring dumbfounded at the suddenness of what just happened.

"I'll say." Draco said also staring. He turned back to Harry and held out his hand. "Chocolate frog?"

Harry couldn't help it. He busted out laughing. The utter and complete oddity of the random question was just too much. Once he had control of himself he took the proffered treat and the two spent the remainder of the train ride talking about inconsequential things. Draco even took it upon himself to inform Harry as much as he could about the Wizarding World. During the last two hours of the train ride Harry learned quite a bit about the Wizarding World as well as Draco. Most of what he learned about Draco was done mostly through observing and listening but Draco told him some of his own childhood at home.

Finally, when it was close to seven in the evening and the sun had long sunk below the horizon, the Hogwarts Express pulled into what Harry knew, thanks to Draco, to be the Hogsmeade Station. Draco left to go tend to his trunk and his other friends. He had explained that his family had a public mask to maintain and that he had to do some damage control with his friends since he had spent the entire train ride with Harry, who understood completely. Harry dealt with his own trunk and then disembarked the train. He followed the tell tale booming of Hagrid's voice calling for first years.

"Hiya Harry," Hagrid said with a smile when he saw Harry walking towards.

"Hi Hagrid," Harry said back. He was about to say something else but someone interrupted.

"Whoa!" A voice next to him exclaimed. Harry turned to see one of the redheads he had seen at Kings Cross standing next to him. Obviously the boy was amazed by Hagrid's size though Harry didn't think it was that impressive. Amazing and worthy of note yes, but nothing to get excited about.

"Alright! First years follow me to the boats!" Hagrid boomed once all the first years had gathered around him.

Harry followed dutifully behind Hagrid as he led them down a simple path that ended in a shoreline that had twenty or so boats lined up along the beach. At Hagrid's instruction Harry and the other first years climbed into the boats with no more than four to a boat. Unfortunately Harry got stuck with the redhead that he found rather obnoxious. He had no idea who the boy was but he was loud and came off extremely rude, though Harry had no doubt the child thought he was being cleaver.

Harry spent the next twenty minutes attempting to block out the imbecile. His efforts were finally rewarded when he was stunned by the sight that rose up before him.

"Holy sh…"


	2. Chapter 2: Surprise Surprise

**Disclaimer:** The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me.

**A/N: **Hey guys sorry for the long wait. My birthday was yesterday and things have been rather crazy around here for the past week or so. Here's the new update for the story and again I am still working on The Power to Change. I'm just blocked at the moment but I am working through it bit by bit. In the meantime I hope you guys enjoy this story as it progresses. Let me know what you guys think of it.

**A/N2: **to Jasmine Indigo Sappihhra there will not be any slash in this particular story but like the summary says this is the beginning in a series I am going to try and write and the future stories will slowly progress to have some slash in them. In this one though I believe that the children are a little young right now to be doing that.

Anyways lemme know what you guys think and I hope you like the chapter.

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><p>CHAPTER TWO: SURPRISE SURPRISE<p>

Harry stared up at the building before him as the boat drew him closer and closer. It was a castle, Hogwarts obviously, but that isn't what had him speechless in shock. The castle was the exact same one he had been dreaming about since he got his Hogwarts letter. It was always the same dream over and over again. First the chaos and destruction and war and then a castle rose in the distance and brought an end to the fighting. Stone rose to create and elegant structure of spires, buttresses, and towers. It truly was a beautiful structure and Harry couldn't help but marvel at its elegance. However Harry couldn't help but wonder why, not to mention how, he was dreaming about a castle he had never before seen. He also wondered at the significance of the war aspect of the dream.

Harry was jostled out of his thoughts when the boats came to a stop at the docks and everyone began climbing out. Harry followed the others into the castle and managed to detach himself from the annoying redhead that kept prattling on about how Harry Potter was coming to Hogwarts this year. The boy had started babbling about Harry about half way through the boat ride and though Harry found the boy annoying he also found it funny to listen to the boy talk about Harry Potter without even realizing that he was sitting next to said boy. Hagrid led the first years into the castle.

"Got the firs' years for ya Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said to the stern looking woman that was standing in front of two large doors that made Hagrid look tiny.

"Thank you Hagrid." Professor McGonagall said as she turned to take charge of the new students as Hagrid walked away.

After listening to what Harry presumed to be the speech she gave every new school year McGonagall left the students to wait in the hallway. Harry waited quietly while the other students talked amongst themselves. His attention was caught though when that annoying redhead once again mentioned his name.

"Has anyone seen Harry Potter?" The freckle faced redhead asked everyone. Murmurs of no came back to him. "Isn't he supposed to be coming to school this year?" Harry managed to catch Draco's eye and he smirked slightly and Draco smirked back. In Harry's opinion the redhead was just a little too enthralled with the Boy-Who-Lived, as the press had labeled him, and Harry would not willingly reveal himself. Harry had a feeling that the boy was only interested in him because he was famous and the same age as him.

"Why so interested Weasley?" Draco suddenly snarled. "Think the Boy-Who-Lived will make you rich and famous by association?" Draco snorted at that.

_Ah the boy is a Weasley. _Harry thought to himself. Draco had touched ever so slightly on the subject of the centuries old feud between the Malfoy and Weasley family but hadn't gone into much detail given that it was a very sore subject. He did however mention that the Weasley family was one of the poorest pureblood wizard families in the Wizarding World.

"What's it to you Malfoy?" Weasley snarled back. "It's not like he'd ever give you the time of day you slimy snake. Harry Potter is a paramount good and would never associate with someone like _you_!"

_I see anger rules his brain. _Harry thought to himself as he raised an eyebrow at Weasley's statement. _Funny how he seems to think he knows me even though he's never even met me._

Before Draco could respond to that statement McGonagall returned from where she went and broke up the verbal fight. "Follow me." She said with a quelling look on her face. She turned and marched towards the large double doors which opened without her prodding.

Inside the doors was a massive hall that could have easily housed an entire army with room to spare. The stone shone a golden color from the hundred or so candles that floated about the room. Above the candles was an unbelievably tall ceiling that depicted the glorious night sky that was outside. This would be the Great Hall if his memory served accurate from reading the history text he got over the summer.

"It's charmed to look like the night sky." The voice of the bushy haired girl came over the sound of students talking.

Harry remembered her as the one that asked him and Draco about a lost toad. He smiled slightly at the textbook statement. Harry's history text had told him of the four houses but Draco was the one that had informed him that most brainy students tended to get sorted into Ravenclaw. The woman had immediately struck Harry as an information obsessed kind of person and he would be extremely surprised if she went anywhere other than Ravenclaw.

"When I call our name," Professor McGonagall said looking out over the many first years that were staring up at her in rapt attention. "You will come up here and place the sorting hat on your head. You will then go to sit at the table that belongs to the house the hat has called out to be yours."

Before McGonagall started calling names she stepped back and waited. The brim of the ancient looking hat that was sitting on the stool that was in front of the Head Table ripped open and the hat began to sing.

_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_ But don't judge on what you see,_

_ I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall, _

_For I'm the Sorting Hat _

_And I can top them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong to Hufflepuff, _

_Where they are just and loyal, _

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, _

_If you've a steady mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning, _

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin _

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!_

The hat stopped its singing and McGonagall stepped forward to start the sorting but the Sorting Hat caught her off guard and once again opened its mouth to speak.

_One last thing,_

_Before I end my singing._

_A word of warning,_

_You must hear._

_Change has come,_

_To these hallowed halls._

_For one among you I see,_

_Within them the blood of four resides._

_These walls they shall purge_

_Of those who don't belong._

_Now enough of this song_

_Let us see where you belong._

Harry had the eerie sensation that the hat was looking directly at him but since it didn't actually have any eyes or eye sockets Harry just brushed it off as the eeriness from the hats singing. The entire hall had fallen silent at the strange end to the Sorting Hat's song after all and Harry could feel the tension rolling off of everyone. It was particularly potent coming from the aged man sitting in the center of the Head Table. Harry assumed it was the Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

The man had a waist length grey beard and grey hair that went well past mid back. He was looking over the gold half moon spectacles that were on his face and was looking at Harry. Feeling a slight twitch above his right eye Harry immediately looked away from the Headmaster. He knew what that twitch meant and he was not happy about it. One of the books he had purchased at Flourish and Blotts over the summer had mentioned certain magic's that allowed a witch or wizard to see into another person's mind. It hadn't detailed how to guard against it or anything but it did tell him how to detect if someone was doing it. The Headmaster had only been looking at him for a few seconds so Harry doubted that he had gained much information but that didn't change the fact that he didn't appreciate being violated in such a way. Especially when he had done _nothing_ to warrant such an act.

"Harry Potter," Professor McGonagall called bringing Harry's attention back to the matter at hand. He had gotten lost in his thoughts of anger at the violation and hadn't paid one lick of attention to the sorting. He ignored everyone in the hall as they all broke out in whispers when he broke away from the other students to sit down on the stool. And he definitely didn't look at the Headmaster or any of the other teachers for that matter.

"_Well, well, well."_ A rustic and ancient voice echoed inside Harry's mind. _"A complicated one you are, though that's not surprising given whom you are. So. Tell me. Where do you think you belong, young one?"_

A little nonplused at the cryptic voice Harry hesitated a moment before answering. _"I'm not sure to be honest."_ Harry replied mentally, hoping that the hat would hear him since he didn't want people to listen in on what most likely would become a very private conversation.

"_Hmmm…" _The hat hummed and waited a few moments. _"Yes I can see. Like I said you are a complicated one. You are as brave as any Gryffindor I've seen yet you are more loyal than a Hufflepuff towards those you consider friends though you've had little to none of those. But brains of Ravenclaw and the cunning of Slytherin are there as well." _

"_Yes I figured that would be what you'd find."_ Harry responded with a smirk in his voice though his face was as blank as he could make it. _"I happen to be a rather introspective person. I think I will be happy with whatever you decide."_

"_Hmmm…" _The hat hummed once again. _"To make you safe is my task yet no matter where you go turmoil will follow you. However the safest and less difficult path I see shall come from… _SLYTHERIN!" The hat shouted the last word out loud to the entire hall, which immediately fell into stunned silence.

Hagrid had told Harry that his parents had both been in Gryffindor and Harry figured that everyone would be expecting him to follow in their foot prints. Harry might've been inclined to do so had he actually known his parents or heard stories about them other than what the Dursleys had told him, which was that they were worthless drunks that died in a car accident. Ignoring the stunned silence of the hall and made his way over to the Slytherin table. None of the tables were applauding like they had done with the other student and the only reason Harry knew it was the Slytherin table was because Draco was sitting there. He was also the only person in the hall that was smirking superiorly as if he knew Harry would be sorted into Slytherin from the moment they met in Madam Malkin's.

"Noooooooo!" Came a dramatic call from the other end of the hall. Harry sat down next to Draco, who smiled slightly at him, and looked back over the hall; after reciprocating Draco's smile of course. Two redheads, Weasleys Harry guess, were creating a show of falsely crying on each other's shoulder. "We didn't get Potter!" They cried dramatically.

Harry looked back at Draco with an eyebrow raised in question but all Draco did was shrug his shoulders. Harry shrugged back and waited for the sorting to finish.

–Scene Break–

Dumbledore sat in his throne like chair in the Great Hall and looked out over the students that were contentedly eating the welcoming feast and he was more than a little worried. When McGonagall brought in the first years Dumbledore scanned for Harry Potter. The boy was easy to spot. His messy black hair and glasses almost made him an exact duplicate of his father. Dumbledore expected the boy to walk in with the newest Weasley since he had asked Ronald to befriend the boy on the train. Instead Harry walked into the hall quiet and seemingly withdrawn. He didn't talk to anyone that was around him and Ronald was several people a head of Harry and looking rather disgruntled. Taking a look inside the boys mind Dumbledore found that there was a small verbal altercation between him and young Malfoy before they came into the hall. He also found that even though Ronald had searched the train he hadn't found Harry alone as expected.

Turning his gaze towards young Harry Dumbledore waited for an opportunity. He could've just plunged straight into the boy's mind but it would've been extremely difficult and extremely painful for both of them. So he waited. He waited while the hat sang, his eyes never leaving the young Potter but he was startled by the hats last verse. Dumbledore felt icy cold chills run down his century old spine. He regained control of himself though and took the opening that was presented to him when Harry finally looked at him in the eye. Unfortunately he only managed to catch surface thoughts, mainly how he was identifying who he was looking at, before Harry broke contact and looked away.

Nonplused at the sudden break he didn't even notice the sudden stiffness to Harry's posture and how he refused to look anywhere near the Headmaster. Dumbledore stared distractedly at nothing while McGonagall went down the list at students but he was recalled back to his surroundings when she called Harry to be sorted. Harry pulled on the hat and Dumbledore waited patiently for what he thought a foregone conclusion. Everyone expected the boy to go to Gryffindor just like his parents. However as the minutes ticked by whispers began to break out among the other students. Almost a full fifteen minutes had gone by before the Sorting Hat finally spoke.

Now Dumbledore was sitting in his chair extremely perplexed and greatly worried. The Sorting Hat had shocked them all when it placed Harry into Slytherin. To make matters worse Harry already seemed to be on good terms with the Malfoy boy which would only mean trouble for him. While he ate Dumbledore attempted to make plans to ensure the boy remained on the side of the Light and completely dependent upon him. He also tried to fight off the headache that was trying to build behind his eyes.

–Scene Break–

Severus Snape was not a happy person. He glared at his dinner as if it were the one to blame for all that was wrong in his life. Snape was beyond not looking forward to being in charge of an arrogant, stuck up, immature, snot nosed, self centered, egocentric, Potter that thought he could do as he pleased. The boy was undoubtedly like his father that he so resembled. He was also obviously spoiled rotten given that he'd been waited on hand and foot by the muggles that worshiped him.

He may not have been looking forward to the next seven years before but now he was positively dreading them since he'd be the one meant to keep the brat inline.

–Scene Break–

Harry shot up in bed. He was panting and drenched in sweat. His entire body was tensed tighter than a spring. It took him several long minutes before he realized where he was and it took him even longer to get his breathing back under control. Tonight's dream had been different from the past month and a half. Instead of simply viewing a battle as before he was instead apart of the battle. It was as clear as if it were a real memory. He remembered wielding a sword and magic alike. He could still feel the blood that had fallen on his hands when he gutted a soldier. Looking down he was only marginally relieved to see clean white hands.

"Just a dream," Harry whispered quietly to himself as he rubbed his hands over his face.

Harry looked over at the clock on his bedside table. It was almost five in the morning. He didn't have to be up for another two hours but there was no way that he was going to be able to get back to sleep. Figuring he'd get a head start on the day Harry stealthily slipped out of bed, careful to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake his dorm mates, and slipped out of the room after grabbing some toiletries, a towel, and his school robes that now held the emblem of Slytherin House. He then made his way to the bathroom that was just down the hall from the first year's dorm and began to clean up and get ready for the day, taking his time since he had plenty to spare.

A little over half an hour later, Harry quietly made his way back into the dorm room where Draco and the three other boys in the dorm were still sleeping. Harry had gotten quite good at being stealthy over the years of living at the Dursley's. It was necessary if he wanted to survive. He'd wait until well past midnight when they were all asleep and then quietly slip out of his cupboard and steal food from the fridge of cabinets so he wouldn't starve.

After replacing his things back into his trunk Harry grabbed his potions text and slipped back out of the room and went to sit on a couch in front of the fireplace, which immediately lit into a small cozy fire, in the common room. The common room was nicely decorated in greens and silvers (house colors of course) but there were also blacks and browns. There were several windows throughout the room that looked out into the lake and it cast a nice green glow during the day light hours (though Harry had yet to see that since the sun was below the horizon every time he was in there). The chairs that dotted the room were made out of leather and though they looked somewhat stiff they also looked comfortable. The couch in front of the fireplace was made of a deep green fabric that was excruciatingly soft and was where Harry was currently sitting. There were also a few desks here and there made out of a reddish brown wood that Harry couldn't place but went very well with the rest of the décor.

Last night after leaving the feast the Prefects had led the first years down into the dungeons and to the Slytherin dormitories where Professor Snape proceeded to give a long and ranting speech. Not wanting to seem rude or arrogant Harry dutifully listened to every word the potions master had to say. However throughout the speech Harry got the feeling, if the harsh glares were anything to go by, that he was not much liked by his Head of House. Harry wasn't sure why this was considering he had never before met the man in his life and had yet to do anything to offend him but he was fairly certain that Professor Snape did not like him for some reason. Thus was Harry's reasoning for sitting on the common room couch at almost six in the morning and reading his potions text. He may not yet know the reason why Professor Snape didn't like him but he'd be damned if he gave the man any more reason to think poorly of him.

"Harry?" Said boy jerked awake at the sound of his name. He had fallen into a light doze after reading almost a full chapter of his text and hadn't noticed Draco, or anyone else for that matter, coming down from the dorm. "What're you doing down here?"

"I uh…" Harry said wiping away the sleep from his eyes and straightening up in his seat. He also surreptitiously wiped the drool that was making its way down his chin. "Woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep so I came down to read since there was only a couple of hours before breakfast."

"Well breakfast is in ten minutes so let's go." Draco said and held out a hand to help Harry stand.

Harry gratefully took it and after making a quick trip back to the dorm to replace his book, followed Draco out of the dungeons and into the Great Hall for breakfast. Thankfully the hall was mostly empty since it was seven in the morning so Harry didn't have to deal with very many stares. Even the stares he did receive were half hearted and drowsy. Harry settled down next to Draco and started filling his plate with food while idly chatting with Draco about what they thought their first classes would be and whether or not they'd be taking them with each other. Considering they were both first years and most first years took all the same classes they figured they knew the answers but it was just something to fill the silence.

It wasn't until half way through breakfast when the day took a decidedly foul turn. The hall had been relatively quiet as everyone was still groggy but they all perked up slightly when owls swooped down from the rafters to deliver morning mail. A delivery owl swooped down and dropped the morning _Daily Prophet _next to his plate. Since he had already re-subscribed for this month the owl didn't bother waiting for any sort of payment. In fact the little bugger flew low enough to swipe a piece of bacon from the bacon platter before leaving. Smiling slightly at the birds antics Harry unfurled the paper after finishing his bite of eggs and sausage. He then promptly froze at the news on the front page.

_**Harry Potter A Slytherin!**_

"Well that didn't take very long." Harry said sarcastically as he briefly scanned the article that accompanied the seemingly outraged title. All it did was ramble on and on about how this was a sign that the boy savior wasn't as pure and good as they all thought and how he would most likely be the next Dark Lord. "Honestly you'd think they'd do a little research before throwing off stories like this. I especially find it absurd that a bank break in was bumped off the front page simply because of the house I was put in." Harry added when he noticed the article near the bottom of page two with a moving picture of goblins combing an empty vault from head to toe.

"What?" Draco said after nearly chocking on the sip of pumpkin juice. He had yet to touch the paper that had landed in front of him since he was still eating. "What break in?"

"Gringotts," Harry said simply, as if they were talking about nothing more important than the weather. He folded the paper so the bank story was easily read and began reading the article while continuing his eating. "Someone managed to break into the bank but didn't steal anything since the vault they targeted was already empty." Harry was actually not surprised to find that the vault that had been broken into was the very same vault that Hagrid had emptied in July. The breach had happened near the end of August, several weeks after it had been emptied.

"A Gringotts break in is supposed to be completely impossible." Draco whispered urgently as he finally reached for his paper.

"Thank you Professor," Harry said politely when Snape had handed him his class schedule. Snape paused with a perplexed look on his face but quickly moved on with his task. Harry wondered just how often the man was treated politely if he reacted like that to a simple thank you. Shrugging off the thought for now Harry turned his attention back to the paper and Draco. "I'm aware of that. I don't doubt that Gringotts is most likely the safest place on earth but that begs a question doesn't it?"

"Who has the resources and power to do such a thing without setting off any alarms until it's too late?" Draco responded after a moment's thought. He then followed Harry's lead and began to act as normally as possible so as not to freak people out.

"Exactly," Harry said with a nod as he finished the last of his breakfast. "And in my mind there's really only one person I can think of that would be able to pull such a thing off, unless I'm missing something; which honestly wouldn't surprise me."

"But what could he possibly want in Gringotts?" Draco asked quietly as he poured himself some more pumpkin juice.

"I'm not sure but whatever it is, it's here at Hogwarts." Harry responded as he finished reading the article.

"What makes you think that?" Draco asked, surprise lacing his voice.

"Come on," Harry said standing up after quickly scanning the rest of the paper for any more pertinent news. "Class starts in twenty minutes and we need to get our books." Draco was about to protest but Harry gave him a look and he shut his mouth and followed Harry out of the hall.

As they walked out of the hall Harry felt the eyes and whispers of everyone in the hall follow him and he resolutely ignored them. He knew this was only the beginning. Harry was honestly disappointed with the intelligence of these people. Not one of them even _knew _him and yet they were all condemning him ten seconds after worshiping him simply because he was sorted into a certain house.

_Honestly! I was expecting better._ Harry thought to himself cynically.

"To answer your question," Harry said out loud once they were safely back inside the Slytherin dorms though he still kept his voice low. "I know because when Hagrid took me school shopping he went to the same vault that was broken into and emptied the vault."

"Did you see what he took?" Draco asked just as quietly as Harry.

Harry shook his head. "It was small, oddly shaped, and about the size of my fist. My guess would be some sort of stone."

"Hmmm…" Draco hummed in thought as the two of them left the dorms with their books to go to their first class, Charms. It wasn't until they were sitting patiently in the classroom and waiting for the rest of the class to show up that Draco spoke up again. "Well there are a variety of stones that can be used in rituals or that can be charmed to do certain things or hold certain spells but I can't think of any that would be as large as you say or why they would move it from Gringotts to here."

"Me either really," Harry said as the other students finally started filing in. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see how things play out."

"Alright class," Professor Flitwick said from atop his stack of books. "Today we're going to start with basic wand movements so get out your wands."

Harry, along with the rest of the class, pulled out his wand. He noticed that several of the students kept their wands in their bags instead of their pocket. Harry thought this rather foolish since the bag can be separated from you and a pocket can't.

As he listened to the Professor and watched him demonstrate the movements they were going to learn Harry subtly stroked his thumb across the holly wood that made up his wand. He could feel the magic thrumming through the eleven inches and the phoenix feather core was practically vibrating with energy. It was as eager as he was to learn what it could and it was just as patient. They would wait. And they would _learn._

–Scene Break–

Later that day Harry and Draco sat in their last class of the day, potions, quietly conversing about nonsensical things while waiting for Professor Snape to show up. So it was with no surprise when both of them jumped slightly when the classroom door banged open and Snape stormed into the room.

"There will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class," He said, his tone making it clear that any disobedience would be met with harsh repercussions. Harry attentively listened to the man's impassioned speech that followed that opening statement, and ignored the quip about him being their new celebrity, but filed most of the speech away as irrelevant. Professor Snape obviously loved potions like nothing else and would not tolerate fools in his class very easily.

"Potter!" Professor Snape snapped.

"Yes Professor?" Harry said respectfully looking the teacher in the eye as he had been throughout the whole speech but now Snape's eyes were focused directly on him. Harry felt a slight twitch above his right eye as he had when he looked at the Headmaster.

"_STAY OUT OF MY MIND!"_ Harry mentally shouted with a glare so cold that it would've made someone retreat to Antarctica just to get warm. He then had the pleasure of seeing the man wince slightly and the twitch stopped as Snape stopped prying into Harry's head. Harry could feel Draco's sudden concern and curiosity at his sudden change in demeanor but he ignored him for now and kept his attention focused on Snape. The two stared at each other for several minutes, Harry glaring and Snape analyzing, before Snape continued with what he was going to say.

"What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Snape asked. Harry could tell the man was slightly flustered as his voice was neutral and held none of his previous bite. He was pretty certain the rest of the class was now avidly paying attention to their interaction.

"The Draught of Living Death _sir,_" Harry said with venom lacing every word but was particularly heavy upon the sir he placed upon the end of the sentence. Obviously not expecting a right answer Snape blinked in surprise and stared for a moment.

"And where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" Snape finally asked after a few minutes of staring.

"You will generally find it in the stomach of a goat. It will cure most poisons and is a hairball not a stone as most people believe." Harry answered becoming more and more glad that he had read his potions book in length this summer and this morning. He continued to glare at the potions professor directly in the eye, silently daring the man to look into his mind again. Once again Snape obviously wasn't expecting a right answer. He stared at Harry in surprise before asking his next question.

"And what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"Their name." Harry answered simply. "They are the same plant."

"Why aren't you all taking this down!" Snape suddenly snapped at the entire class and breaking the staring contest with Harry to glare at the class, which immediately jumped and started scribbling things down. Harry had obviously put the man off guard and he was trying to regroup by being particularly nasty to the rest of the class.

Harry could feel amazement coming off the rest of the students. They had undoubtedly already heard what demanding, utterly brutal and outright mean teacher Professor Snape could be and were obviously impressed. Even some of the other Slytherin students seemed impressed with him though they didn't know why Harry had reacted so towards their Head of House.

"Get out and brew the potion on the board." Snape said with a wave of his wand after a few moments.

Harry looked at the writing on the board and recognized the Boil Cure potion from the text but with a few alterations, made undoubtedly by the potions master. After assigning them pairs to work in Professor Snape left them to work while he graded a few papers for a few minutes before making circuits around the room. Harry unfortunately got stuck with the annoying redheaded Weasley that had been unbearably annoying the day before. Thankfully though the fool was blissfully quiet while the two worked on their potion. Harry worked on mixing the ingredients together while Weasley prepared the ingredients needed. Unfortunately the silence wasn't destined to last.

"How could you!" Weasley suddenly demanded halfway through their potion. Most of the class had been murmuring quietly but Weasley's sudden declaration caused everyone to quiet down and tune into what was being said.

"How could I what?" Harry asked not taking his eyes off of the potion he was stirring. He added the stewed horned slugs one at a time and slowly stirred clockwise ten times as required.

"How could you betray us like that!" Weasley clarified heatedly.

"Weasley," Harry said calmly. When he finished his stirring he removed the cauldron from the heat and added the porcupine quills and stirred a couple of times before letting the potion settle. "I honestly haven't the slightest idea as to what you are talking about."

"I'm talking about how you turned evil!" Weasley nearly yelled.

"How–?" Harry started to ask but cut himself off as he noticed the very huge mistake his neighbor, Neville Longbottom if he remembered correctly from the sorting, was about to make. Reacting quickly Harry grabbed the boy's wrist and jerked it away from the cauldron before he could add the porcupine quills while the cauldron was still over the fire. "You have to remove the heat first. Otherwise your potion will blow up and cover you in boils." Harry explained to the boy who looked about to faint.

"Th–th–th–thanks," Neville stuttered badly. He quickly corrected his mistake.

"No problem," Harry said and then turned his attention back to the annoying Weasley, who was currently gaping slightly at Harry's actions. "As I was saying, how exactly have I turned evil?"

"You–you're a Slytherin." Weasley said sounding slightly less sure of himself after witnessing Harry, a Slytherin, helping a Gryffindor.

"Your point being?" Harry asked. He was getting rather annoyed at the boy's stupidity but he kept it out of his voice and did his best to remain calm. He had a feeling that if he handled this right he might just be able to mitigate future conflicts. "I hardly see how my being placed into Slytherin House automatically makes me evil. After all the Minister of Magic, if memory serves, was in Slytherin." Harry quietly thanked Draco for that little tidbit of information. He honestly hadn't even fully paid attention to that when Draco had told him but he was now rather grateful for his ability to file away information when not really registering it.

"Is there a problem?" Snape snarled suddenly from behind them.

"No sir," Harry said as calmly as he could. "We were just conversing since we were done with our potion." Harry picked up the vial he had bottled the potion in and held it out to Snape while looking the man directly in the eyes in a silent dare.

"Clean up your station." Snape snapped with a glare. He snatched the vial out of Harry's hand and walked away in a swirl of robes.

After cleaning his station and putting away his things Harry sat quietly in his chair and waited for the end of class. Eventually he pulled out a book to read. He continued to ignore Weasley as the boy continued to stand there staring at Harry in dumbfounded shock.

"Potter!" Snape called after he dismissed the class with an assignment of a three foot essay about why the ingredients they used allowed the potion to cure boils and what other properties the ingredients had.

"Yes Professor?" Harry asked when he made his way through the throng of students and up to the teacher's desk.

"Would you care to explain how you detected my intrusion earlier?" Snape growled.

"Would you care to explain why you were violating my mind when you had absolutely no reason to do so?" Harry countered vehemently. He wasn't about to willingly fork over any answers just yet.

"It was… accidental." Snape said haltingly. Harry had a feeling that that was the best apology he was going to get and that he wouldn't get any more information.

"If that truly is the case," Harry said calmly though he still glared slightly. "I suppose it would be forgivable. However I would appreciate it if you didn't _slip_ again." Harry then walked out of the room leaving a fairly stunned Professor Snape in his wake. Obviously the man had not expected to be out maneuvered and by a first year no less if the surprise rolling off the man was anything to go by.

–Scene Break–

"Hi Hagrid!" Harry called as he approached the cabin that was set on the edge of the Forbidden Forest that was on the grounds.

"Hiya Harry." Hagrid boomed with a toothy smile as he looked over his shoulder since his back was turned to Harry. Hagrid was currently putting up a small fence around the garden he had in the back of his hut. "What ya doin' out here?"

"Just finished with classes and thought I'd visit since dinner isn't for a few hours." Harry explained. "If you want though I can leave you to your work."

"Nonsense." Hagrid said straightening up. "Yer always welcome here Harry. Come on in. I'll put on some tea." Together they walked into Hagrid's hut together. Harry sat down at the oversized table, for him anyway, and waited for Hagrid to finish with the tea. Hagrid's dog, a Neapolitan Mastiff that was as tall as Harry himself, came over and laid his head down in Harry's lap. Harry chuckled and started petting the lovable and adorable dog. "So how was yer first day o' classes?" Hagrid asked as he sat down to wait for the kettle to boil.

"They were pretty good." Harry said with a happy smile. "I especially liked Charms and Transfiguration. Potions wasn't too bad either though I got the feeling that Professor Snape doesn't like me a whole lot."

"Aye he wouldn't." Hagrid said with an understanding head nod. "You look just like your father and he gave Snape quite a bit o' trouble while they were at school together."

"How so?" Harry asked as he accepted the cup of tea Hagrid poured him and took a sip. He then had to fight not to gag or show his dislike of the liquid. Cooking was _not_ Hagrid's strong suit.

"Well You-Know-Who was just rising then and Slytherins weren't all that popular. The prejudice was worse than it is now and yer father was in Gryffindor and… well he wasn't the most pleasant of kids. He and a group o' his friends tended to pick on the Slytherins but they had a tendency to focus on Snape a lot since he was small and never openly fought back." Hagrid elaborated with a heavy sigh as he took a sip of his tea. He offered Harry some scones but Harry quickly declined. "He's not giving you any problems is he?" Hagrid suddenly asked with a suspicious look in his eye.

"No," Harry was quick to assure. "He's been perfectly fine. Snarky but fine. I was just curious since he seemed to be a little more snarky towards me than the others."

"Alright then." Hagrid said seemingly appeased.

Harry and Hagrid then spent the rest of the time chatting about Harry's first day and other various topics of little consequence before Harry went back up to the castle for dinner.

–Scene Break–

"Come on Hermione come out." Harry pleaded.

Several weeks had passed since the first day of classes. September had ended and October was nearly over given that it was currently Halloween. For the most part Harry's classes were great. He had finally managed to convince Snape that he was not some spoiled little child that had been worshiped by hapless muggles. Halfway through September Harry had made friends with a few other Slytherins as well as the bucktoothed, bushy haired, muggleborn Ravenclaw that was currently holed up in the girls lavatory.

The stupid Weasley that was sitting next to her in Charms earlier today had said something mean and hurtful about her not having any friends. She had attempted to help the boy with the spell they were trying and instead of being grateful the arrogant boy sulked at being showed up and proceeded to badmouth the girl when he thought she wasn't around. Unfortunately she was walking behind him and heard everything. She'd been in the bathroom crying ever since.

"Come on," Harry pleaded again when he was met with silence. "I have chocolate." Harry bribed and he was rewarded when he heard a watery laugh come from inside the bathroom. However that was all he received and his smile quickly faded. "You do realize that if you don't come out I'm going to have to come in there?"

"Harry!" Hermione said sounding scandalized. "You can't! It's against the rules!"

"And just when exactly have you known me to follow the rules?" Harry reasoned. In the few weeks that the two had known each other Harry had broken quite a few of the school rules. It was nothing major; a few nightly wanderings due to his inability to sleep because of his weird dreams had led to some rather unfortunate incidents, such as running into a three headed dog that was located on the third floor.

"Never actually," Hermione said. She went on to say something else but Harry had stopped listening.

A completely foul smell had reached his nose. It smelled far worse than the time Vernon had backed up the upstairs toilet and Harry was forced to clean it up. Then a loud thumping sound reached his ears. Harry figured it was footsteps since the sound seemed to be getting closer and the closer it got the louder it became. Suddenly Harry's brain kicked into gear and his eyes nearly fell out of his skull and his mouth hit the floor. Dropping the few treats he had collected from the Halloween feast before coming to find Hermione Harry bolted inside the bathroom, making sure to barricade the door as much as possible behind him.

"Harry!" Hermione said in shock. She was standing in front of the mirror trying to make it look like she hadn't been crying all day. "I said I'd be right out. What're you doing in here?"

"Quiet!" Harry hissed as he grabbed her by the arm and quickly dragged her to the stall farthest from the door.

"Harry! What on earth are you doing!" Hermione said once again sounding scandalized.

"Quiet!" Harry hissed again as he pushed Hermione into the stall and shut the door. He quickly put a hand over her mouth to keep her from making any further sounds. He pulled her close so he could whisper in her ear while keeping in the corner. "There is a troll in the castle. I don't know how and I don't know why but it's here. You have to keep quiet."

"Harry that's redicumphh," The last of Hermione's sentence was cut off as Harry replaced the hand she had pulled away.

"Listen!" Harry hissed quietly when she started to protest. The thumping sounds had gotten louder and were beginning to vibrate the bathroom fixtures. Harry guessed that the troll was practically right outside the bathroom. The smell had even started to creep its way in.

Hermione scrunched up her nose at the smell and then her eyes bulged much in the way Harry's had when she realized what the two things together meant. She turned fearful eyes towards Harry in a silent plea of what to do. In response Harry put a finger to his lips and pulled them tighter into the corner of the stall and knelt down. Silently Harry was rather impressed that the girl had not broken down and started balling. Harry knew he could keep it together until danger passed, he grew up in an environment where a cool head was nearly vital to surviving, but Hermione hadn't. Hell most children didn't and anyone else would be freaking out at the idea of a massive creature twice the size of Hagrid approaching them.

Suddenly the door to the bathroom crashed open causing them both to jump and Hermione to squeak ever so quietly but thankfully it was muffled since Harry still had his hand over her mouth. The wretched stench was twice as worse now and the thumping had turned into a full on pounding as the troll lumbered into the room. From his position Harry was able to see the trolls feet as it stood in the room. Harry guessed it was looking around for something though what Harry had no idea.

For a moment Harry thought the thing would leave and apparently so did Hermione because she made the mistake of sighing through her nose. Harry immediately tensed and as a result his hand covering Hermione's mouth tightened and his thumb and forefinger ended up pinching her nose shut. Not five seconds after that the troll swung its club through all of the stalls in one fell swoop. Harry reacted and managed to cover Hermione with his own body in order to shield her from the falling wood. It was a good thing they had been crouching in the corner because the club sailed just above their heads.

"Move!" Harry ordered and shoved Hermione out of the shattered stall. She practically flew forward and ended up huddled underneath the line of sinks.

Harry hoped she wasn't hurt since he hadn't meant to be so rough and the only reason he hadn't rushed with her was because of his back. It was cut in several places and battered from the force the shattered wood had hit him with and had forced him to half lay half kneel on the floor. Unfortunately his actions had caused the troll to focus on Hermione and it raised its club to strike.

"NO!" Harry shouted helplessly with a raised hand

That was when something strange had happened. Green and silver light reached down from the bathroom ceiling. It wrapped around the club and yanked it out of the troll's hand. It then preceded to clonk the troll in the head with its own club before releasing the wooden weapon and vanishing back into the ceiling. The troll stumbled for a moment before falling down to the floor with a loud crash that shook the entire room. Harry barely noticed. He just stared dumbly at his hand.

"Harry?" Hermione said as she crawled out from under the sinks and over to Harry. "What was that?"

"I honestly don't know Hermione." Harry said. He tried to move and ended up collapsing completely onto the floor for his trouble.

"Are you ok?" Hermione asked as she hurriedly went to his side to try and help him. Before he could answer though footsteps sounded outside and Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell came rushing into the bathroom.

"What is going on here!" McGonagall screeched in shock. If Harry had been aware of anything but the pain in his back he would've thought that the look on McGonagall's face made her look like a lioness with its lips pursed. As it was all he could think of was the pain in his back. It felt like it did the time Vernon had used a perforated belt and beat him until he started bleeding. "Explain yourselves!"

"The troll cornered us Professor." Harry started to explain but was interrupted by a bout of coughing. "Damn!" Harry said when he pulled his hand away to find it covered in blood. That was when he realized he was wheezing.

"He needs the hospital wing!" Hermione said urgently.

"Anyways," Harry continued as if nothing was wrong, he didn't even realize that Professor Snape had taken the place of Hermione and was currently carrying him to the infirmary. He went on to explain what had happened but when he came to how he stopped the troll he changed the story slightly. "I managed to get my wand out and cast the levitation charm on its club as it raised it to strike and then released it so it knocked the troll out." Harry was starting to get light headed.

"Are you sure the Sorting Hat said Slytherin Mr. Potter?" Harry barely heard McGonagall say in astonishment.

"Like… my… house." Harry managed to say coherently before he lost consciousness and went completely limp in Snape's arms just as they reached the Hospital Wing.

–Scene Break–

"I dare say," McGonagall said as she watched Madam Pomfrey work frantically to stabilize Harry. "He may be in your house Severus but I've never seen someone like Mr. Potter here. He has cunning worthy of Salazar, the bravery of Godric, loyalty worthy of Helga, and the thirst for knowledge that would put Rowena herself to shame."

"As much as I would despise to do so," Severus responded shooting Minerva a teasing glance. "I have to agree with you."

"Doth my ears deceive me?" Minerva teased the normally grumpy and cold hearted man. "Did Severus Snape, bane of all Gryffindors, just agree with the Gryffindor head of house?"

"It won't happen again." Snape glared at his offending cohort. His glare softened ever so slightly when Minerva began chuckling freely. _Damn but the brat is getting to me._ Snape thought silently to himself as his gaze shifted back to his charge that was lying rather pale on the hospital bed. "Perhaps instead of giggling like a school girl you should check to make sure Miss Granger is well." Severus said neutrally out loud. Minerva just chuckled some more but did as suggested. Poppy had said she was physically fine, just in shock, but that did not mean there was nothing to be done.

In the two months that Harry Potter had come to Hogwarts Severus' life had begun to change. He just couldn't decide if it was for the better or not. He still despised and hated James Potter with everything he was, naturally, but Harry was a different story. When the boy came here Severus was fully prepared to hate him as well but after that first potions class he began to see Harry as different than his father. The boy was more cunning and sneaky than any Slytherin Severus had taught in ten plus years of teaching. He was certain the boy had been breaking minor rules like sneaking out at night but he had yet to get caught. And when you combine that cunning with the key traits of the other three houses… well it made Potter very dangerous if truth be told.

"Well," Pomfrey said bringing Severus out of his thoughts. "He should be fine. I did what I could for him. The worst of the damage was a broken rib that punctured his lung. I am curious though as to how he became magically exhausted. His reserves are dangerously low. I don't suppose you know how that happened Severus?"

"The only spell he claimed to have used was Wingardium Leviosa." Severus told the mediwitch. He now doubted the story Potter had told on the trip up here. He suspected most of what the boy had said was true since he saw Potter leave the Halloween feast a few minutes after it had started and Draco had informed him of what the idiotic Weasley had said about Granger earlier that day. However he highly doubted that Potter had simply used a levitation spell to defeat a fully grown mountain troll.

"Well I find that hard to believe." Pomfrey said with a doubtful look on her face. "I heard that he accomplished that charm this afternoon on the first try just like Miss Granger there. That spell could and is master by most pureblood children at the age of six without much strain."

"I doubt we'll find out the truth either way unless the child willingly tells us." Severus said with a slight shrug. "The point, however, is that he did manage to take down a troll."

"A feat worthy of reward no doubt," A genial voice sounded from the entrance to the infirmary. Everyone turned to see Dumbledore striding towards them all. "I think fifty points to Slytherin ought to do. Twenty five for protecting a fellow classmate and another twenty five for saving said classmate's life."

"A reasonable offer Headmaster," Minerva said standing up from talking to Hermione and saving Severus from making snide comment about how if it were a Gryffindor that did such a thing they'd have received awards and not just points.

"Alright everyone," Madam Pomfrey called suddenly. "All non patients out. It's late and they need to recover from their ordeal." She had noticed that Harry's breathing had become rather erratic when the Headmaster came in and she didn't want to push the boy since she had just fixed his lung.

–Scene Break–

Dumbledore was… conflicted. He was still not very happy that Harry had been sorted into Slytherin. When the hat shouted that house he had a sudden flashback of a young Tom Riddle. The two boys are eerily alike and Dumbledore did not want a repeat of history. However much he spouted that Slytherins were just like everyone else Dumbledore didn't actually believe it. There was just too much disturbing evidence towards them being Dark. Severus Snape, though he had turned spy, was a prime example as well as Tom.

But to hear that Harry had shown loyalty towards a friend and that he had saved her life as well? This clearly meant that the boy had goodness in him. The only problem Dumbledore had was getting it to come out more. The boy was strangely withdrawn and Dumbledore couldn't figure out why. He had known that the Dursleys wouldn't be the most affectionate of care givers for Harry, in truth he had been counting on that since it would ingrain the boy to him. He would appear as a sort of savior to the boy, someone who had taken him away from a cold environment and shown him comfort and compassion. Nothing that had been reported by Mrs. Fig would've suggested that the boy would be so withdrawn.

Dumbledore could only hope that the Light within the boy would win out and he would do everything within his power to make sure that it did. But for now he had to see how his tests for the boy would pan out.

–Scene Break–

Despite what they thought Harry was not unconscious while they were talking. He had fallen unconscious yes but he had woken up halfway through Madam Pomfrey's ministrations. He managed to catch almost everything said. Harry wasn't surprised to learn that they doubted his story. It was honestly a flimsy lie and he was quite surprised that Hermione hadn't automatically corrected him; he figured it was due to the shock she was in. He actually hoped that it lasted long enough for him to talk to her and see if she'd keep what really happened secret until he could figure it out. He didn't care if the adults would doubt his tale due to physical evidence. Pomfrey wouldn't concern herself with how it happened unless she needed to know in order to fix it and Snape would mull things over until he put it to the side for later consideration when new facts came in. However when Dumbledore came in Harry panicked slightly.

Dumbledore was the one teacher here that Harry disliked and distrusted the most. The man was sneaky and more manipulative than any Slytherin Harry had met or read about. If the man even slightly suspected that something was off he'd dig his teeth in until he could find away to use the situation to his advantage which usually involved manipulating Harry.

In the two months Harry had been at Hogwarts he had concluded that the aged man had been manipulating Harry's life. It was just too coincidental that Hagrid had been told to remove that package from Gringotts the day he took Harry shopping for school. Then he just conveniently places said package that is apparently worth attempting to steal, here at Hogwarts instead of simply informing the goblins that there was a very serious threat to their security. Then he announces its presence and location by telling the entire school that an entire corridor of the third floor was off limits. It was all too obvious that the man was baiting some sort of trap or something of the like. A test was even on Harry's list of what the man was doing.

"You can open your eyes now." Madam Pomfrey said quietly from next to him and Harry froze. He had wondered how he got away with the woman not noticing that he had woken up and now he guessed that he hadn't.

"That obvious was I?" Harry said cheekily as he opened his eyes to look at the mediwitch that was looking down at him.

"Not really," Pomfrey said with a slight smile. "I only noticed because of the monitoring spells I have in place to keep an eye on your condition. How're you feeling?"

"Weak," Harry said honestly. He didn't think he could so much as lift a finger at the moment.

"That's to be expected given the amount of magic you exhausted in taking down that troll." Pomfrey explained. "I don't suppose you care to explain just what exactly it is that you did? A levitation spell would not have brought your magic levels that low." Harry managed to shrug slightly but refused to comment. "Well whatever you did you saved Miss. Granger's life. Rest. You'll be here until Monday."

"Is Hermione ok?" Harry asked before the witch could walk off. When she had mentioned rest he realized that his body was growing even heavier than it already was.

"She is still in shock but she will be fine. She will spend the night and most of tomorrow maybe but she will be out of here before you recover." Madam Pomfrey said with a slight smile. "Now rest."

Before he could say so much as a thank you his eyes closed against his will and he fell asleep… but it was far from restful.

The minute his eyes closed he fell into a dream. Over the past two months he had been having the same four dreams over and over again every other day. First came the one where he was a warrior, then the scholar, then a peaceful mediator, and then the sneaky and conniving potions master. Harry had realized that he was dreaming about the founders several weeks after the dreams began but for the life of him he couldn't figure out why. And this dream did not help his confusion.

He found himself in a dark room with no windows. The walls were made of stone and he was sitting at a plain round wooden table with three other people.

"What're we going to do?" Someone next to him said.

Harry turned his head to see a man with long red hair that went past his soldiers that made him look like he had a lion's mane. The man, Gryffindor Harry presumed, had a sword attached to his hip and a wand holster on his arm. Harry's head turned to survey the other people around the table they were sitting at. The two women, one a tall and calculating yet friendly looking woman with straight black hair that was held back in a pony tail and the other a portly woman with golden hair that was normally held back but was now falling freely around her and a kind face, looked just as beleaguered as Godric did. Harry assumed these must be Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff. Harry suddenly stood with a heavy sigh. Like the other dreams he was just an onlooker and had no control over anything.

"I will go." Harry said in a voice that was not his but Salazar Slytherin's.

"What!" Came three shocked and outraged voices.

"Sal you can't!" Godric said standing up as well, as if he would restrain Salazar physically to keep him from leaving and judging from the man's well built physique Harry doubted that it would be a problem to do so.

"I can and I will." Salazar said and he had to hold up a hand to prevent the others from cutting off the rest of what he was going to say. "This school cannot fall. The people have misjudged my research and my intentions and our squabbling, good natured and friendly though it may be," He said with a smile at them all, "Is only fueling their beliefs that our friendship is breaking and that I am a heartless bastard. Since they already have place the position of scapegoat upon me I will take it and leave. You three must remain here to keep the school going. If this institution falls the land will be covered in war and the people will never see peace. This cannot happen. So, I shall leave."

"But Sal," Helga started to say but Salazar cut her off.

"No dear Helga. This must be done." Salazar said with a sad smile to the ever loyal witch. If this woman ever considered you a friend she would fight by your side to the death and she would chew a hole in anyone that would dare say anything against you. Her loyalty would only fail if it was proven beyond doubt that you betrayed her or had done something completely unforgivable.

"My friend," Godric said coming up to him and placing his hands on Salazar's shoulders. "We may be as different as black and white but you can be just as stubborn as me when you set your mind to something." Salazar smiled ruefully at this. "No matter where you go, send word to us should you ever need help. The world may think otherwise but we are still very much friends and we shall come to help you if you need it."

"Indeed," Rowena said standing up and going over to the two men and wrapping them in a hug. "You shall always have our friendship."

Helga got up as well and joined in the group hug. She didn't say anything but the silent tears rolling down her face said everything that needed to be said.

"Ok." Salazar said as he pulled back from the hug of his closest friends after several minutes. "In order to make sure that the school stands you have to make it seem like you three are breaking off our friendship completely. You'll have to spread rumors about why I left and other such things."

"We understand." Helga said with a watery smile. "We may not utilize it very often but we can be just as good an actor as you can be Sal. We'll make sure the school and public at large don't suspect anything."

"Good." Salazar said sadly. He sighed heavily. "I guess there is no point in lingering. I'll go pack my things and leave the castle by morning. Goodbye my friends."

With that Salazar walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him with a click.

Harry woke with a jerk. It took him several moments to recognize the hospital wing of Hogwarts. Then he slowly started to relax. This dream was by far the most complacent and easy going but it was also the most emotional. Harry had no idea why he was dreaming these things and he didn't know if he should be taking these dreams as fact or not. Hogwarts A History said nothing about the castle putting a stop to wars and it certainly didn't explain this last dream. It simply stated that Hogwarts was started by the four friends in order to educate the masses and that because of Salazar's beliefs their friendship broke apart.

"Harry?" A soft voice reached his ears and brought him out of his thoughts. He turned his head to see Hermione lying on her side in the bed next to him.

"Hey Hermione," Harry said quietly. "How're you doing?"

"I'm doing better." Hermione said with a thankful smile but it quickly faded. "Harry I couldn't help but wonder why you didn't tell the teachers what really happened."

"Because I don't really know what exactly happened." Harry turned his head to look at the ceiling with a sigh. "And honestly, if you hadn't seen it for yourself would you have believed me if I said I made light come down from the ceiling and _that_ was what defeated the troll?"

"Well… no to be honest." Hermione said after a few moments hesitation. It truly was a remarkable story to begin with and if you added in some mysterious lights saving them at Harry's wave of a hand then it sounded even more unbelievable.

"See." Harry said seeing the realization on Hermione's face. "Do you think you could keep this a secret until I can figure it out?"

"Hmm?" Hermione said. She clearly had gotten lost in her own thoughts. "Oh. Yeah. Sure. Just make sure to keep me in on what you find out. I'm very curious as to what it is that you did and just might very well be doing my own research into the matter."

"Thanks Hermione." Harry said and drifted off into a light sleep.

–Scene Break–

Unknown to Harry, in a shadowed corner someone was listening to the conversation. Snape was very curious about what had happened in that bathroom and he figured that spying on the boy when he was vulnerable would pay off; and it did. The lie about knocking the troll out with its own club was entirely plausible. He had seen for himself that the troll had been knocked out and it looked to be the club that had done just that. But he knew there was something else to the story. Something the boy didn't want known.

Now he knew what… or at least what the boy wanted hidden. In truth he honestly didn't know what the boy had done either. Light coming down from the ceiling was something that was unheard of even in the Wizarding World.

And so Snape would wait in the background, something he had perfected long ago, and he would watch. He would attempt to figure out what exactly the boy had done and he would watch the boy for any other odd occurrences. Perhaps it would lead to an explanation as to how the boy managed to survive a direct contact killing curse at close range.

–Scene Break–

The news of what had happened in the girl's lavatory had spread throughout Hogwarts like wildfire during a dry season in a forest. By the next day the entire school was aware of how the troll had attacked Harry and Hermione and Harry had saved Hermione's life. It was because of this that Harry was rather grateful that he was confined to the infirmary for a few days as Madam Pomfrey wouldn't allow anyone into the ward that wasn't a concerned friend of Harry's or Hermione's.

Surprisingly the only visitor that Harry had was Draco. The blond boy seemed to genuinely care for Harry in a way that no one else did and that rather surprised Harry. Even Hermione, though he definitely considered her a close friend, didn't show this level of concern for Harry. At least Harry had never felt it from her. Hermione always gave off gentle waves of nervousness that was underlined with an all encompassing fear that he doubted she was fully aware of herself.

When they weren't dealing with school related tasks Harry felt happiness and joy coming off her. She had explained to him that she had never had any friends before she came to Hogwarts. Since she was placed into Ravenclaw she wasn't such a nerdy outcast anymore because everyone there had a craving for knowledge like she did. However it wasn't until Harry had befriended the young witch that she really started to make friends.

Draco's visit came with a small surprise though. When the boy walked through the doors the day after the troll incident Harry literally felt fear crawl its way into his heart. Along with the fear came concern and worry. When he felt these things he became rather confused since he had nothing to fear from Draco. Harry and Draco had been almost completely inseparable since they were sorted into the same house. Naturally they did spend time apart from each other but whenever they were in public they were usually seen together and it was rare to see one without the other nearby.

"Hey," Draco said with a small smile as he sat down on the edge of Harry's bed by his legs. "How're you doing?"

For a moment Harry didn't respond. The feelings griping him were strong indeed and he couldn't understand why he was feeling these things. The two had grown close over the past two months and had gotten into the habit of sharing almost everything with each other. Draco had even started confiding into Harry some of his own past life before Hogwarts.

"Harry?" Draco said when Harry didn't respond right away. He was wide awake and staring at Draco so he knew the boy wasn't sleeping.

When Draco spoke again Harry felt the fear and worry spike and he suddenly understood what was happening.

"Sorry," Harry said. It took a great deal of effort to keep his voice light. "I was just kind of spacing out there. I'm doing well. Madam Pomfrey fixed me right up." Harry was relieved to feel the strong emotions subside to be replaced with relief.

This proved Harry's theory accurate though and Harry felt his own worry rise. He had always been sensitive towards other people's feelings but this was different. Instead of simply sensing what kind of mood the other person was in he was now actually feeling what they were feeling. This made Harry very concerned about how he was going to manage getting through the next eight months of school without going crazy from the emotions of a thousand different people.

"That's good." Draco said drawing Harry's attention back to the present. "I'm still surprised that you're even so much as conscious. Taking down a fully grown mountain troll is not something most adults could brag about."

"So I've been told." Harry said in a mock bored tone that made Draco smile. "I take it the entire school knows what happened?"

"Only if you count the fact that it's all anyone can talk about as knowing what happened." Draco said dryly and with some disgust. He may have been impressed by Harry's accomplishment but it got boring after first twenty times you heard it.

"That bad?" Harry said with a smile. He knew how bad the gossip mongers could get. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. I am just a first year after all. My question though is how did a fully grown troll make its way into the castle?"

"I'm not sure." Draco said becoming rather serious and thoughtful. "There are supposed to be thousands of wards around the castle in order to prevent hostile intruders from entering the castle and to protect the students. No matter its size a troll should not have gotten into the castle unless someone who's tied to the wards deliberately let it inside."

"That's… disconcerting." Harry frowned. "That means it'd have to be a teacher."

"Unfortunately." Draco said with an understanding nod. The two then spent the rest of the day discussing who could possibly have let in the troll.

–Scene Break–

Two more months had passed since the incident at Halloween. Harry had witnessed his first Quidditch match and found the game quite thrilling to watch. His experience was only slightly marred by the headache he received from the conflicting emotions as different people cheered for a different team. After the match everything settled down and the students started worrying about midterms and stopped talking about what had happened on Halloween. Harry and Draco however continued to discuss now and then who had let the troll in when they were studying or researching exactly how Harry had stopped the troll.

Throughout this time though Harry had taken to walking the dungeons at night. His dreams had started to cycle with the addition of the new one and when he woke up from each dream he felt this pull. He could feel something calling him. Something pulling him. He had no idea what but it was somewhere in the dungeons but he could never find it but each night he wandered. And each night he searched. And each night he found nothing. It wasn't long before he had memorized almost the entire maze like dungeon corridors. He even had Professor Snape's patrol route memorized so he didn't get caught during his wanderings.

So passed November and most of December. It was now Christmas break and the students were leaving to go home for the holidays, except the ones that were staying; which included Harry.

"You sure you won't come?" Draco pleaded one last time before he climbed into the carriage that would take him to the station. "I already cleared it with my parents. They won't mind you coming over."

"Yes Draco I'm sure." Harry said for probably the thousandth time. Draco's desire for Harry to come over coupled with Harry's own was a tough thing to fight but he wanted some time to himself to try and get his empathy under control. He also had a feeling that the dreams he was having would probably get worse if he left Hogwarts. "Send my regards and apologies to your parents and do not open your gift until Christmas. I will know if you open it sooner." Harry had gotten Draco's gift about half way through December and the boy simply would not leave alone about it until Harry threatened to return it instead of giving it to Draco on Christmas.

"I won't." Draco said seemingly innocently but Harry knew the boy would at least try to peak. That was why he was grateful for the time sensitive sealing charm he had learned and placed on the present. No matter what Draco would do the package would not open until December twenty-fifth. "Alright well I wish you would come but I can't force you. Stay safe and let me know if you find anything ok?"

"I will send you an owl the instant I find anything." Harry promised with a smile. "Now go on or you'll miss the train."

"Bye Harry." Draco said giving the other boy a quick hug.

"Goodbye Draco." Harry said and returned the hug after a moment's hesitation. He wasn't used to physical affection since every time his relatives touched him it was as punishment.

It was hard for Harry to admit but he would actually miss Draco over the holidays. He deeply wanted to go with him to spend Christmas there with him and his family. But something told him that he needed to stay, which was why Harry was standing on the front steps of Hogwarts watching the carriages head towards Hogsmeade station. Once they were out of sight Harry turned… and ran right into Dumbledore. This was the last person Harry wanted to deal with at the moment.

"Hello Harry." The Headmaster said kindly and with a twinkle in his eyes, though Harry didn't notice.

"Hello Headmaster." Harry said neutrally and resolutely keeping his eyes on the man's gaudy robes. He attempted to step around the Headmaster but the old man stepped in front of him to stop him.

"I was wondering if you would like to have tea and lunch with me Harry." Dumbledore said trying to catch Harry's eye but Harry kept them adverted.

"I'm sorry Headmaster. As much as I would like to I had other plans. I wish to get my homework done and out of the way so I don't have to worry about it later." Harry said in an attempt to get out of having lunch with the manipulative bastard. Harry could feel the man's twisted desire to befriend Harry. He didn't know why the old man was so interested in him but he knew it would be for nothing good.

"Come now Harry," Dumbledore said once again stepping in front of Harry to keep him from leaving. Harry could feel the man's confused frustration. "Surely that could wait for one afternoon. Come. We'll have lunch and discuss how you're doing in classes and how you've been doing since Halloween." Dumbledore made the mistake of turning to head to his office under the impression that Harry would follow him without further protest.

Harry had other plans though and instead of following the arrogant man he turned in the opposite direction and headed down into the dungeon. He never saw the Headmaster pause a few seconds later to look behind him and he didn't see the shocked expression on the man's face at not seeing Harry following him or anywhere else in the hall. Harry did however feel the anger that flooded his mind and he felt it when the man headed down the dungeons after him.

Growling in annoyance Harry delved into the maze like corridors of the dungeons in an attempt to lose the persistent bastard. If he was being pursued by anyone but the Headmaster he would've gone straight to the Slytherin dorms but since the old man had access to the entire school his best chance of getting away from the man was to lose him in the dungeons. If he had gone into the Slytherin dungeons he would've just been trapped. With any luck the old man would head there himself instead of the opposite direction; Harry's direction.

Unfortunately luck was not with Harry. The wards of the castle were able to tell the Headmaster where everyone was at any given time so Dumbledore followed straight after Harry. Harry's was growing and it was only being assisted by the feelings coming from Dumbledore. It was because of this reason that Harry accidentally made a wrong turn and ended up in a dead end corridor. After swearing rather colorfully Harry quickly went into the darkest corner of the dead end. If it hadn't been for the fact that the Headmaster was so close behind him Harry would've gone back out. As it was Harry was now officially cornered. He pressed his back against the corner he was hiding in and attempted to keep his breathing quiet

Just as the Headmaster was about to round the corner something happened. Harry let out a yelp and tumbled backwards right when Dumbledore started walking towards him. Harry heard a grinding sound, a loud bang, and then he was plunged into darkness. Poor had landed on his back and hit his head on the stone floor. He lay there on the floor for several seconds in a daze as he attempted to quell the dizziness that was wracking his vision, despite the fact that it was dark and he couldn't see.

It took him several moments but eventually the pain and dizziness went away and he managed to sit up. When he did a torch sprung to life on the wall next to him. It was only one but it gave Harry enough light to realize that he was not in any part of the dungeons he had ever been. It also gave him enough light to realize that he had come perilously close to tumbling down a rather lengthy looking set of stairs. He looked back to where he had come through and saw nothing but a solid stone wall. Not entirely surprised by this fact Harry turned back towards the dark stairwell. His life was quickly becoming full of surprises and he was getting rather worn out.

"Well," Harry said to himself as he grabbed the torch from the wall. He wasn't about to risk walking down a stairwell in the dark unless it was necessary. "Might as well follow the trail of breadcrumbs." With that he started walking down the stairs.


	3. Chapter 3: Christmas and A New Term

**Disclaimer: **The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me

**A/N: **Here's the new chapter guys I hope you like it. Please review and let me know what you think. I enjoy constructive criticism :-) enjoy :-D

* * *

><p>CHAPTER 3: CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS AND A NEW TERM<p>

Dumbledore stared dumbly at the empty corridor before him. He had no explanation for what had happened. One minute the wards had clearly stated that Harry was at the end of this corridor and the next they had said that the boy wasn't there anymore. Dumbledore lit up the dark corridor to see if the wards had malfunctioned and the boy was still hiding there. Unfortunately they had not lied. They boy was indeed gone. He used the wards to search the entire castle for Harry's location but they had come up with nothing. Somehow the boy had managed to drop off the radar and if Dumbledore hadn't known better he'd have said the boy either Apparated out of the castle or used a portkey. However he knew the wards prevented someone from Apparating within Hogwarts' grounds and they would've registered someone using a portkey.

Starting to panic slightly Dumbledore used every single spell he could think of to scan the dead end corridor for any trace of magical residue that would explain what had happened. After finding nothing but the wards of Hogwarts Dumbledore practically ran to Severus' quarters.

"Headmaster," Severus greeted with slight exasperation in his voice. The man could tell he would not like whatever it was that the man had come to his quarters in such a state for. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes," Dumbledore said. It was rare that he would show his emotions on his face but now his panic was clearly shining from the aged man. "Harry Potter has disappeared from the castle. I can't find him anywhere." Dumbledore didn't think it prudent to inform Severus of the fact that he had been chasing Harry through the dungeons when the boy disappeared.

"Where was he when he vanished?" Severus said stepping fully outside from his quarters and shutting the door behind him.

"He was in the dungeons." Dumbledore said as he led Severus to where Harry had vanished from. "I was monitoring the wards when I noticed that he had simply vanished."

"A portkey perhaps?" Severus said as he started to examine the empty corridor.

"No the wards would've registered that. Severus you know these dungeons better even then myself. Could there be some sort of passage here that he could've fallen into?" Dumbledore said. He was clearly not handling Harry's disappearance very well.

"No," Severus said with a shake of his head. He started casting diagnostic spells of his own to detect traces of magic but he too came up with nothing. "I'm afraid I've examined this corridor many times over the years looking for just that but each time I've come up with nothing. I'm also afraid my scans have come up with nothing. I think we should expand our search to outside the castle in case someone managed an untraceable spell that could've kidnapped him."

"We must keep this quiet Severus." Dumbledore said seriously as they walked out of the dungeons. "It wouldn't do well for the parents to learn that someone managed to kidnap a student without even entering the school. The parents would never trust this school again."

"Understood Headmaster," Severus said in a tone that said the Headmaster was a fool for thinking Severus hadn't already thought of that.

–Scene Break–

Harry held the torch high in order to illuminate the corridor he was walking down. The stair well happened to be shorter than he originally thought and had ended after a dozen or so steps. Now he was walking down a dark and empty corridor. By his estimation it had only been a few minutes since he had started down this path and he was beginning to wonder if the thing would ever come to an end.

Just as the thought popped into his brain the hallway turned a corner and he came face to face with a very old wooden door. Despite its obvious age the marvelous carvings that were set into the door were still very prominent. There were five separate carvings: A Lion, A Badger, An Eagle, and A very dangerous looking Snake. In the center of the four carvings was the fifth. It was a large bird with its majestic wings spread wide and its beak open wide in a silent cry. Its long and tail extended halfway down the door. The entire bird looked to be on fire. Not entirely sure what the bird was Harry turned his attention to the fact that the door seemed to be lacking a door knob.

Harry looked around for a place to put his torch and found a bracket on the wall next to the door. After freeing his hands Harry began to look for a switch or lever that would open the door. After seeing nothing obvious he began to run his hands along the walls around the door. He pressed each stone he came across and each one remained firmly in place. Harry wasn't deterred though, he enjoyed puzzles. He went up to the door to see if it could just be pushed open. He didn't get a chance to push though.

The instant his hands came into contact with the wood a shock wave rippled through the door and down the hallways. The four animals, the symbol of each house Harry suddenly realized, shone a golden glow for a brief moment before going back to normal. Then the bird in the middle that Harry still did not recognize flared. Actual flames burst into existence for a brief moment. With the flames came the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. It was a bird's cry that spread images of peace and hope and happiness through Harry's mind. The flames died and with them the bird's song.

"Wow." Harry said. It was the only word that even came close to expressing his amazement at what had just happened. Sure, it wasn't overly flashy or anything but the song had stolen his breath and had given him a sense of security he had never known.

The door jerked and then slowly opened out into the area beyond the hallway. Still slightly mesmerized by the song Harry mechanically moved forward. At first the room was completely dark but once Harry crossed the threshold a fire sprang up in a fireplace that was as large if not larger than the one in the Slytherin common room. It spread light throughout the room and allowed Harry to see properly. The room was large and nicely furnished. Bookshelves lined two of the three walls, the fireplace taking up the third, and the doorway taking up the fourth. Four paintings hung upon the wall on either side of the door and Harry immediately recognized the four sleeping occupants as the people from his dreams; the founders.

"Welcome," A warm and kind voice sounded from behind him. Harry whirled around from where he was facing to see four life size replicas of the painting's occupants standing before him. "Welcome young heir."

At the sight of the four founders' ghostly images before him Harry did the only sensible thing he could think of. He fainted.

–Scene Break–

"I'm sorry Albus," Minerva McGonagall said sometime around sunset in the Headmaster's office. "We've searched every inch of the entire castle. Mr. Potter isn't anywhere to be found. We also didn't find any trace of foreign magic anywhere in the castle."

"Thank you Minerva." Dumbledore said with a weary sigh. He honestly hadn't expected the teachers to find anything but he ordered the search anyways in the vein hope that something would turn up. Thus was the reason why every teacher in the castle was congregated in his office. All except for the few that had left for the holidays. "Severus, have you found anything?"

"No," Severus said grumpily. He was in no mood for banter. He simply wanted to go back to his quarters and sulk. It had not been easy getting answers out of the people he had talked to without raising any flags and he had gotten more than his fair share of cuts for his trouble. "No one that would have any reason to do so has seen or heard of anything pertaining to Potter that has not been already reported by the _Prophet_."

"Very well," Dumbledore said sadly. He did everything he could to keep it from showing but he was greatly disturbed by Harry's disappearance. Not only because it was impossible that the boy had left the castle but also because it would be detrimental to the plans he had in place for the boy. Harry was key to saving them from Tom but only if he was prepared and in order to prepare him he had to be tested. "There is not much else we can do now unless something turns up. Go and enjoy your holidays but keep your eyes and ears open. We must find Harry and return him to safety."

With that everyone in his office filed out. Once they were gone Dumbledore's shoulders slumped and he ran his hands across his face. He couldn't lose control now. It would only make things worse. He looked over to the perch that occupied his office and frowned slightly. Fawkes, the phoenix that had been his companion for some time, had been gone all afternoon. When he left to go find Harry the bird had been snoozing slightly but when he had returned after searching the dungeons for Harry Fawkes had gone.

He couldn't help but get a slightly uneasy feeling at the bird's absence.

–Scene Break–

Harry groaned. He was laying on something extremely uncomfortable and his head was sending sharp spikes of pain through his skull. He slowly sat up and began to rub the back of his head

"I swear if I hit my head on the floor one more time I'm going to go about the castle casting cushioning charms all over the place." Harry growled petulantly. He really was getting tired of hitting his head on everything.

"Not a bad idea though I don't think it'll do you much good." A voice echoed from his right. "The wards prevent any alteration to the castle's structure that isn't sanctioned by the person tied to the wards or is done by the castle itself." Harry turned and saw a transparent Godric Gryffindor smiling down at him. He had expecting it this time but it was no less amazing to see the ghosts of the four founders staring at him.

"I don't suppose that this is all a dream or something?" Harry said sarcastically as he made his way to his feet.

"You mean you're not happy to see us?" Salazar said with a hand to his chest in mock hurt. This caused Harry to chuckle slightly at the founder of his house.

"I think overwhelmed would be a better description." Harry replied with a smirk on his face and it was Salazar's turn to chuckle.

"As entertaining as this banter is," Rowena said sternly though the slight smile on her face ruined her stern visage. "We do have more important matters to discuss and not a lot of time for it either."

"Too right," Helga chirped with an echoing clap of her hands. "Here Harry dear, have a seat. That way you won't fall and hurt yourself again." Helga directed Harry into a chair that was by the fireplace.

"So what is this place?" Harry asked once he had sat down in the surprisingly comfortable chair.

"This was a meeting place for the four of us." Godric explained as he floated to stand in front of Harry. "It was once a simple and plain room with nothing more than a table and four chairs but we modified it in the years before our deaths. We gathered here so we could talk and discuss matters of importance without fear of being overheard. If it weren't for how it looks now I'm sure you would recognize it from one of the dreams you've been having." He looked directly at Harry when he said that last part. As for Harry he had frozen slightly at the mention of his dreams. He had told no one about them, not even Draco. That was when he was sure that this was not some sort of prank for he was positive that not one person had found out about his dreams.

"I apologize for the graphicness of your dreams about me by the way." Godric said and he sounded genuinely sorry too. "But I have no control over what you see and once the dreams started we could not stop them."

"Why?" Harry managed to whisper. He had sat there for several seconds just staring. He wasn't entirely sure what else to say so he asked the first question that came to him.

"Because you are our heir," Rowena said when Godric seemed unable to answer. It was clear that the ghostly image of the supposedly bravest man known to wizards was deeply upset by what the dreams had shown Harry of the battles he had fought.

"After a thousand years you still have yet to learn some tact Rowena." Salazar remarked snidely. "You said yourself we have little time and we can't have him fainting again." Harry was certain that the stoic ghost would be blushing if she had a body. As it was her cheeks started glowing a little brighter.

"It's ok," Harry said coming to the woman's defense. "I had suspected as much from what the hat said and from what was said before I fainted." Rowena smiled slightly at Harry in thanks.

"Anyways," Helga intervened before Salazar could make another scathing remark. "As Rowena said, you are our heir, which means that this castle is technically yours. However because of something that the current Headmaster has done the wards have not accepted you as they should have when you first arrived. Instead only the backup wards, wards that Dumbledore knows nothing about, have accepted you. They are wards that Sal here set up personally."

"That is one of the reasons why they have tied themselves to you." Salazar explained. "You are not only in my house but you are also my heir. Since us four along with the castle no longer approve of the current Headmaster the backup wards activated when you arrived and bound themselves to you. And it was the wards that knocked out the troll on Halloween." Salazar paused to let that sink in.

"The green and silver light?" Harry asked in shock. "Those were the wards of the castle?"

"Yes," Salazar said with a nod of his head. The other three seemed content to sit back and let him take care of this part of the explanation. "They are green and silver because it was I who created them and the colors of my house are green and silver."

"He's always been a bit of a paranoid one." Godric cut in with a playful smirk on his face. "He set up those wards in the fear that one of the teachers or Headmasters would turn on the school. I mocked him at the time and for the past thousand years but I must admit it was a good foresight."

"My how grateful I am for your words," Salazar responded in a huff and crossed his arms across his chest.

"May I ask something before you two start arguing?" Harry cut in snidely but his face betrayed his amusement.

"Yes!" Rowena said a little too enthusiastically and everyone looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Questions pave the way towards enlightenment. I praise the boy for being so proactive in the pursuit of knowledge." She tried to defend herself but the blush that had spread across her cheeks had given away her secret. She was grateful for Harry derailing the oncoming argument.

"I," Harry cleared his throat after enduring the ensuing silence for a few moments. "Was wondering how it is possible that I am the heir to all four of you. Two I can see but four? My mother was muggleborn and both my parents were in Gryffindor house."

"That is actually one of the reasons we don't trust Dumbledore anymore." Helga said sadly.

"Yes," Rowena agreed. "Your mother was not muggleborn as they have led you to believe. She was adopted by her parents, your adoptive grandparents, a few months after she was born. Her birth mother died during childbirth and the father was a half-blood that wasn't approved of by your biological great grandparents." She paused to brush aside a ghostly tear from her cheek before she continued. "Since the father had no idea that your grandmother was pregnant and the poor woman's parents didn't want to take care of what they considered a tainted child they gave her to an orphanage in the muggle world. Lilly, your mother, was healthy and strong and had no idea that she had been adopted by your kind and adoptive grandparents since they died before they could tell her."

"Dumbledore knew this of course," Salazar said with a scowl on his face. "At the time he had made it a habit of looking into every person's genealogy for some reason and he found out that your mother was adopted. However he didn't say anything because he didn't want it known that he had been snooping around where he didn't belong. He placed you with your adoptive aunt in order to keep up appearances that he knew nothing of the truth and under the claim of blood wards."

"Bah!" Godric barked in anger. He had kicked at another chair but his foot just went straight through it. "Blood wards my ass! There's not a lick of blood in common between Harry and those fools! The most he probably put up were wards to shields the boy's presence from other wizards."

"Not one other person bothered to double check anything?" Harry said in shock and anger.

"No." Helga said with fury lacing her voice. "They had all just come out of a very vicious war and they trusted the man too much. They still do."

Harry growled in annoyance and mumbled something about blind shepherds leading blind sheep. "So why are you telling me this now?" Harry asked directing the conversation away from temper inciting topics.

"Well we had planned to tell you on the twenty first," Helga said with a smile. "We had it all planned out as a sort of early Christmas present. Something to allow you to never have to return to those despicable muggles but since you were cornered by Dumbledore and in danger of having your mind raped by the fool we decided to do this now to save you from such a fate."

"How is this going to save me?" Harry asked. He was a little touched that the founders had wanted to save him from trying to find a place to stay over the summer holidays since he would not be returning to those muggles under any circumstances. However the thought of Dumbledore traipsing through his mind unchecked caused no small amount of fear to grip him and he couldn't keep it entirely out of his voice. "The minute he finds me down here he'll get what he wants and more. I'm actually rather surprised he hasn't found his way down here yet."

"That's because he can't." Salazar said with an air of pride about him and a pleased smile on his face. The other three simply rolled their eyes at the sly man. "This room, along with our individual chambers, is guarded by separate wards that will only tie themselves to someone of our bloodline and someone whom we approve of. Each chamber will only reveal themselves to those who have proven themselves worthy enough to enter." Salazar looked like he was going to say something else but he suddenly pursed his lips and looked away in what looked like shame and anger. Harry couldn't be sure since he wasn't actually getting any feelings from the ghosts, understandably so since they _were_ dead.

"Only one person," Godric said as he floated over to lay a hand on Salazar's shoulder in support. "Has managed to locate one of our chambers and gain entrance. He was an heir of Sal's that showed great promise. However once he gained entrance it soon became clear to all four of us that this child was…" Godric trailed off in search of the right word to describe this person and unable to find it.

"Unworthy," Rowena supplied. "Deranged. Vile. Cruel. Vindictive. Sadistic. Arrogant… "

"Enough Rowena!" Helga suddenly snapped. Harry was a little surprised by this since every dream he had of her showed her as a relatively kind person. He was even more surprised when Rowena not only listened but blushed to the point where her mouth had a light bulb in it.

"I–I'm sorry Sal," Rowena said as she floated over to where Salazar was staring into the fireplace. Harry hadn't noticed before but saw that the man's pained look had grown deeper with each word Rowena had said. "I didn't mean to go on like that."

"It's ok Rowena," Salazar whispered. "What you said was accurate and true. Tom was and still is a very deranged person who deserves every ounce of pain he will ever receive."

Harry sat there respectfully giving the four friends their space. He didn't really want to know who this Tom was but he had a feeling he already knew. Harry watched the fire and let the silence stretch as the three founders consoled and comforted the other as much as they could. When he thought it had stretched to a respectable length Harry cleared his throat nervously.

"So," He said a little awkwardly and nervously not looking anyone in the eye. He didn't want to seem insensitive but he wanted to move the conversation away from such a sensitive topic. "How exactly will I be saved from having a crazy Headmaster rape my mind?" Thankfully the founders didn't seem upset by his intrusion since they all smiled at him kindly and with a look that said that said they knew what he was trying to do.

"Because," Salazar said pulling himself back together. "I will teach you the art of guarding your mind from attacks so you no longer have to be afraid of someone prying secrets from you without your permission or knowledge of what they're taking. Also the books in here are all written by the four of us. When I left this school we made the decision to pool all of our basic knowledge into this room for our chosen heir. In here resides all of our knowledge that we collected over the years of our life. However in each of our personal chambers resides a collection of specialized knowledge of each area of magic that we four specialized in." He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "Once I have taught you the basics of Occlumency, which will only take about a day, you can use the books in here to learn how to create stronger and more complex shields since we cannot linger here for much longer. We were only allowed one day to come down here and tell you what we needed to tell you and show you."

"Oh," Harry said as if he had realized all along that it would be something so simple. He then clapped his hands and stood up. "Well what're we waiting for? We only have a day and I have nothing better to do. After all my homework since, as Dumbledore so kindly put it, it can wait at least one day to be finished." All four of the founders burst out laughing at Harry's shameless use of the old man's words.

"One last thing before you get started." Godric said when he had stopped laughing. "Take this. It's a portkey. It will bring you directly into this chamber or any of our personal chambers, once you find them of course. Once you put it on it can never be removed for any reason or by anyone, not even yourself. It will also work anytime and anywhere, even if there are wards up that prevent portkey use. All you have to do is send a tiny burst of magic into the necklace and think of which room you want to go to."

Harry held out his hand and Godric dropped a necklace into Harry's palm. The chain was simple silver. Not too big and gaudy but not so small as to be considered feminine. The pendant that hung from the chain was the real shocker though. It had four precious stones set around a fifth. There was a ruby, an emerald, a sapphire, and canary diamond. In the center of the formation was a beautiful and mesmerizing diamond. However it wasn't just the stones that made the pendant beautiful though. They were all encased in the center of a majestic bird. It was the same bird on the door in fact.

"It's beautiful." Harry said in amazement. "But what kind of bird is this?" Before anyone could respond a string of notes sounded throughout the room and a large red bird flew down from one of the bookcases to land on one of the chairs. It looked exactly like the carving and the necklace only larger and in real life. It's red and gold feathers shone in the firelight and the beady black eyes shone with an intelligence that only came from living several thousands of years.

"It is a phoenix Harry," Rowena said floating next to the bird and petting it with a ghostly hand. "This phoenix in fact. This is Fawkes. He came to us when we first started the school and has kindly watched over it for us after we passed. Until recently he has simply been an observer but because of the Headmaster's manipulations and his decline from the good man he once was Fawkes has been forced to try and mitigate the consequences of his actions. He has even helped you from time to time, using his tears to heal you at night after a really bad beating by that elephant." Harry chuckled at the description Rowena gave Vernon.

"That reminds me of something else you need to know," Helga said suddenly with a snap of her fingers. "We each had a familiar of our own along with Fawkes here." Helga gestured to the firebird that was sitting on top of the chair preening his feathers.

"Yes," Salazar said in agreement. "A basilisk for me,"

"An eagle for me," Rowena chimed in.

"A lion for me," Godric said with a fond smile on his face.

"And a badger for me." Helga finished. "It may be thousands of years later but they are still very much alive since they were magical animals though they were normal in appearance, aside from the basilisk. Each one is inhabited by the essence of a spirit guardian. Orpheus resides here in the castle in Salazar's chamber. The other three have spread out across the land since our deaths and we're not entirely sure where they are. However we have sent out a call to them to let them know that our chosen heir has come into this world, only time will tell if they will make themselves known to you."

"Ok," Harry said a little taken back by the sudden influx of information he had just received. He had never so much as had a pet rock in his life and now he had the possibility of five very large and very dangerous animals as pets and companions.

Without further ado Salazar had Harry sit cross legged on the floor and began instructing him in how to shield his mind.

–Scene Break–

Dumbledore was truly starting to panic now. Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived and the savior of the Wizarding World had been missing for almost an entire day now without any trace of where he had gone or how he had disappeared. To top it off Fawkes had apparently vanished as well. The phoenix rarely left the castle for any reason unless Dumbledore had asked a favor or to simply fly around the grounds but Fawkes had always been visible on those days and he always came back if Dumbledore had an emergency.

"Where are you my friend?" Dumbledore said aloud as he gazed out the window. "I fear I am losing control and I could use your guidance."

It had been a long time since he had felt this powerless and he was not taking it well. Even his many devices that scattered his office were of little use to him. All they could tell him that the boy was alive and well. It gave him things like eating, sleeping, tired, or energetic. Anything beyond that came up blank. The boy was being held behind some extremely powerful wards that his tracking spells could not penetrate. He had even sent old Alastor over to the Dursley's to see if the boy had somehow wound up there. He came back to say that the only occupants of the house were the Dursley's. He had sent Alastor so as to not raise any suspicions with anyone since the man could look through walls. It would not do well for anyone other than those he trusted absolutely to find out about the boy's disappearance.

With a heavy sigh Dumbledore sat down in front of his fire place and began sipping his hot coco. He could only hope that the boy turned up before classes started up again.

–Scene Break–

"There is one last thing I wish to show you before we leave." Salazar said the day after he had started giving Harry Occlumency lessons. The boy had progressed remarkably fast in his study of the subject and he could now defend himself against a mental assault.

"What's that?" Harry asked eagerly. It may have only been about twenty four hours but he had grown close to the founder of his house during his training and had begun to think of him as a sort of fatherly figure. In fact he had begun to think of all the founders in such a manner. He might still have the paintings after they left but it wouldn't be the same.

"It's my chambers." Salazar said seriously. "I think we all agree that you are more than worthy. Plus the backup wards I put up have accepted you which will mean the ones around my chambers will as well. I also think that it would be wise for you and Orpheus to get acquainted so he can help protect you should you need it."

"Sounds like a smart idea." Harry said slightly nervous. He had read a little about basilisks but the books he had didn't say much aside from the fact that they were giant and ferocious creatures that could kill you with a single look and their venom had no known cure.

"Do not worry." Salazar said putting a ghostly hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry would swear that he could almost feel the weight of an actual hand there. "He will not harm you. Remember he is not just a basilisk but also a nature spirit. Nature spirits are good and just beings and thrive only for the protection of their realms."

"Right." Harry said attempting to calm his nerves.

He followed Salazar out of the room they were in and through the door, not the same one he came in by, that would lead him to anywhere in the castle that he wanted to go. The door led to a passageway that went under the school and had several different branches that would go to different parts of the castle. He could go from the dungeons to the great hall without coming out from underground. Or he could go from the Slytherin common rooms to the library on the fourth floor on the other side of the castle. The corridors had been built in case of a siege or invasion. It was to allow the students to vacate the castle without encountering any enemies. Thankfully these passages were not covered by the wards that Dumbledore had access to but by the failsafe wards that Salazar had erected.

"_Open_," Harry started out of his thoughts by the hissed word from Salazar.

Harry looked to where Salazar was standing and saw a large round metal door decorated with snakes opening up before them. Inside there was a large chamber lined with large statues of snakes and a giant effigy of Salazar at the far end of the room.

"A little dingy but it gets better." Salazar said as he led Harry through the door. When he crossed the threshold Harry felt powerful wards react to his presence but they quickly settled down before they latched onto him. Harry assumed the wards were accepting him as their master as Salazar had said they would. "The side tunnels lead to bed chambers, studies, and a personal library. This is just the main hall. Orpheus should be around here somewhere.

"I've been meaning to ask you," Harry said as he glanced around the chamber in awe. Salazar was right it was a little dingy, and wet, but it wasn't too bad and would probably be better when cleaned up. "Why did you name a giant deadly snake Orpheus?"

"Because he likes music," Salazar said with a chuckle. He had wondered how long it would take before Harry questioned him on the name of his familiar. "He likes listening to almost every type of music out there and he likes to think he's a pretty good singer. If truth be told he's actually a rather bad singer but I didn't say that."

"_You didn't ssssssay what?_" A loud hissing voice said drawing their attention. Harry looked to see a snake that was thicker than Hagrid's hut was round and easily two heads taller than the half giant.

"_Oh, hehe, nothing_," Salazar hissed back nervously looking up at the giant snake. Harry then realized that they weren't speaking in English. His ears may understand it as such but he could hear actual hissed words if he concentrated enough.

"_You never could lie very to me old friend_." Orpheus laughed. The giant snake then noticed Harry standing next to and slightly behind Salazar with his head bowed in both respect and fear. "_Who have you brought with you Sssssalazar?"_

"_Ah yesss_," Salazar said eagerly jumping on the change of topic. "_Thissss issss Harry Potter. He is our chosen heir. I brought him here ssso he could meet and get to know you. You know what has been going on with the current Headmaster?_"

"_Yesssss_." Orpheus said as he bent down to look at Harry closer. He stuck his tongue out to scent the air and seemed pleased with what he found. "_Look up at me child. My eyes will not harm you unless I allow them to._"

Harry hesitantly and slowly raised his head to look at the basilisk. He was relieved to find that the snake had not lied when he did not drop dead immediately upon looking at the snake in the eye. He noticed a slight film, a snake's second eyelid, over Orpheus' eyes and he guessed that was how the deadly power of the snake's eyes had been contained.

"_Hello_," Harry said bowing slightly in respect to the large and ancient snake.

"_Hello young one._" Orpheus said and Harry could've sworn that the snake was smiling. "_I approve Ssssssalazar. He is far better than the other one that found his way down here_."

"_Yesss_." Salazar said simply. "_It is my wish that you help guard Harry. There are many dangers in the castle above, dangers he cannot defend against completely by his self._"

"_Sssssss_." Orpheus said, a snake's version of a hum Harry supposed. He stared at Harry and Harry stared back for several moments before he spoke again. "_Yessss. That would be wisssse. Many dangerssss lie ahead for you chossssen one and if you pull through many will be happy. This I choossssse. From this day forward I shall be your friend, your ally, your companion, your advisssor, and your guardian._" Orpheus said in a formal tone. Before Harry could think of a response he felt a friendly bond settle into place in his mind and he guessed Orpheus was now his bonded familiar.

Orpheus wriggled back and forth slightly before moving in a circle before him and Salazar. Salazar simply watched with a smile on his face as his long time friend moved. As Orpheus circled he shed skin and as the skin shed his size shrank. Harry watched in amazement as the giant snake that would've made Hagrid quiver in fear, became smaller and smaller. It wasn't long before Orpheus was no larger than a python that was probably only about half grown.

After one last circuit Orpheus slithered over to Harry. He slipped under his robes and actually went inside his pant leg. Harry shivered slightly. It was not something he was used to and the feeling of a snake crawling along his skin and wrapping itself around him sent chills down his spine. A few seconds later he had a snake head poking out of his collar and looking him in the face.

"_I shall ssssstay with you from now on unlesssss I hunt._" Orpheus said with a flick of his tongue. "_If you could ssssneak me food that would be besssst but I understand that cannot alwaysss be done. Too keep people from noticing me and to make it eassssier for you I shall make myself a part of your sssskin. I will look and feel assss no more than a tattoo to you and anyone who lookssss."_ As he said this Harry felt the snake's body meld with his own and the extra weight of carrying a snake twice the size of him around slowly disappeared. Orpheus' head pressed sideways up against his neck, where his collar bone connected with his neck underneath his Adams Apple, and seemingly melted into his skin as if it were no more than water. "_Thissss one issss a good choice Ssssalazar."_ Orpheus added before falling quiet and settling into his position as a watchful tattoo.

"_Thanks_," Salazar said quietly before addressing Harry as if Orpheus hadn't said that last part. "Well Harry we must go now. Remember your Occlumency. And don't forget to tend to the wards you're now in charge of, especially the failsafe ones for the school. With any luck they will take over as the primaries and the one's Dumbledore is in charge of will cease to exist."

"Oh that's another thing. What did he do to the wards that prevented them from transferring to me?" Harry asked quickly. He could see the image of Salazar starting to fade.

"That unfortunately is something we have not been able to discover." Salazar said angrily and his image firmed momentarily. "However the backups are just as strong as the main ones and they can even guard your presence from the Headmaster if you wish. Just make sure to tend to them. They are a living presence and if you mistreat or ignore them they will decay and fall with time."

With that he faded completely and Harry felt a pang of loss and he suddenly felt very alone. A tattoo companion aside it hit Harry hard just then that he had no real parental figures in his life that really cared for him. Salazar and the other founders were the only ones he came across that actually seemed to care about him just for his sake and not because he was some savior. Sure they went on about that since it was technically apart of his life but they seemed to put his welfare first simply because he was important to them and not because he was famous for something he didn't even remember doing.

"_He won't admit it_," Orpheus said causing Harry to jump slightly. "_But the snarky potions master of yours has come to care for you. He is actually quite worried about your absence._"

"_Are you talking about Professor Snape?_" Harry asked as he made his way out of the chamber, closing the door behind him. He then started down the passageways that would lead him to the dungeon corridors near the Slytherin common room entrance. He was sure that there would be a passage that went straight into the common room but he figured that it would look slightly less suspicious if he appeared out in the dungeons where he disappeared from rather than in a highly warded common room that was supposed to be one of the safest places in the castle.

"_Yessss._" Orpheus hissed. The slight movement of the basilisk's mouth to speak had caused a slight tickling sensation along Harry's collar bone and he couldn't help but squirm because of it.

"_No offense to you but I highly doubt it_." Harry said as he started climbing a stairwell. "_The man hated me with a passion when I first came here. I admit that we've gotten a little… friendlier I suppose you'd say but I doubt that he's come to actually care about me._"

"_Believe what you will,_" Orpheus said with a wriggle that Harry could only interpret as a snake like shrug. "But he does care."

Harry didn't know what to say to that so he kept quiet. He didn't want to argue with his new friend that was currently wrapped around his body but he doubted that Snape actually cared about him considering not three months ago the man saw Harry as the cause of everything that was wrong in his life.

"_What do you want to bet that the Headmaster will be down here in five minutes?_" Harry said as he walked down the dungeon corridor and into the Slytherin common room. He made his way across the empty room and headed for the first year boy's bathroom. He wanted to see just how Orpheus had curled around his body.

Blaise was the only other Slytherin student to stay at Hogwarts over the holidays but it was dinner time and Harry figured the boy was up in the Great Hall eating alone. Harry felt rather bad for leaving the boy alone for the past day. Blaise had been a good friend of Harry's since he warmed up slightly to Harry. He had even come to see Harry in the hospital wing after Halloween, though it hadn't been until Harry was actually making his way out of the infirmary. But still he was a friendly boy and Harry had even bought the boy a Christmas gift.

"_Ten sausages says that he'll be down here in two minutes or less._" Orpheus said sounding eager at getting his hands on some of Hogwarts' food.

Harry laughed as he undid his robes and pulled off his shirt in front of the mirror. "_Well that's what you'll get if you win the bet. What would I get if he's here in five minutes?_"

"_Sssss,_" Orpheus said in another snaky hum. "_How about I remove the knots in your shoulder muscles?_"

"_And just how would you go about doing that?_" Harry asked as he admired his new tattoo. Orpheus had done and artful job of coiling his length around Harry's body without making it look strange or like he had an actual snake wrapped around his left leg and torso. Orpheus' tail touched Harry's ankle bone and the snake wound his way up his leg wrapped around his waist then around his still too thin midsection and ribs. He then draped himself off of Harry's shoulders and ending with his head at the bottom of Harry's neck right in the center of his collar bone. Ten feet of snake was not an easy thing to hide on a person that was just under five feet tall but Orpheus had done a good job while making it look like a real and artful tattoo.

"_By giving you a snake massage of course._" Orpheus said with a slight squeeze of the coils that were draped over Harry's shoulder and then moving them a little bit. It surprisingly actually felt like a real massage.

"_Alright you have yourself a deal,_" Harry said with a chuckle. He honestly couldn't believe he was having a conversation with a snake about who would get what if they won a bet. Throughout their conversation and his examination of what he looked like now Harry had been monitoring the Headmaster's presence through the wards and so far the man hadn't moved from the Great Hall.

"_You know if you want this to be a fair bet,_" Orpheus said sounding amused. "_You'll have to stop shielding yourself with the wards you're in charge of._"

"_Oh,_" Harry said blinking in surprise. "_Sorry. I didn't even know they were shielding me. I figured that the Headmaster would've been aware of my presence the moment I came out of the passages and entered the dungeons._"

"_It is ok,_" Orpheus said still sounding slightly amused. "_You are new to such things and I shall forgive you… as long as the time frame for the bet starts when you reveal yourself._"

"_You really want those sausages don't you?_" Harry laughed as he worked out how to relax the wards and let them show his location to others.

"_Of course!_" Orpheus said. "_They are most delicious and I have not had the luxury of eating them in many years._"

"_Well it looks like you shall have them._" Harry said with a half smile as he replaced his clothing. "_Dumbledore just bolted from the Great Hall._"

"_Yay sausages!_" Orpheus said and Harry couldn't help but burst out laughing at the snake's statement that sounded utterly childish. Harry made his way out of the bathroom and down to the common room only to be physically accosted by one aged and possibly senile Headmaster that was obviously frazzled by his disappearance.

"Where have you been! How did you get out of the castle! How did you get back!" Dumbledore practically roared in Harry's face as he shook Harry back and forth.

"If you shake me any more you're going to give me whiplash!" Harry snapped as he batted away Dumbledore's surprisingly strong hands before putting his own to his head in an attempt to control the sudden dizziness that wracked its way through his head. Harry felt Orpheus squirm in displeasure at being gripped so tightly. He may appear to be a tattoo but he was still a real snake for crying out loud. "Sheesh. You would think I'd been missing for years instead of one measly day during the holidays."

"Harry you will answer me this instant! Who kidnapped you and how did you get away?" Dumbledore demanded all appearance of a kindly grandfather gone. Even then ever present twinkle had disappeared. Before Harry stood a mighty and powerful wizard that had lived for over a century and not the kind Headmaster of a prestigious school.

"I was hardly kidnapped Headmaster." Harry said looking the old man in the eyes for once in order to test his shields. "All I did was fall into a secret passageway and get lost. The dungeons are designed as a maze after all, Headmaster." Harry said as if it was obvious. He felt Dumbledore brush against his mind and he was pleased to find that his shields held against the man's probe. He was also pleased to note that his Occlumency shields help tone down his empathy. Right now all h could feel coming from Dumbledore was complete and utter surprise, most likely because of his encountering unexpected Occlumency shields.

"Who are you?" Dumbledore suddenly demanded as he pointed his wand at Harry.

"Headmaster what are you doing to my student?" Professor Snape asked in shock as he walked into the common room. He had not been at dinner but had felt the wards he put in place around the common room entrance activate. The first time he had felt them he figured that it was simply the Zabini boy returning from dinner but the second time caught his attention and he came to see who else had come into the common room and to see if Harry had returned.

"This is not Harry Severus." Dumbledore said not taking his eyes off of Harry for a second. "It is an imposter."

_This man has truly lost it._ Orpheus said quietly within the confines of Harry's mind so as to not risk exposure. Harry didn't bother to respond. He kept his attention focused on the wand that was pointed right between his eyes.

"And what makes you think such a thing?" Severus said stepping closer towards Harry.

With Occlumency training came the ability for Harry to direct his empathy instead of letting it take in whatever it could find and Harry directed it to get a feel of what Snape was feeling out of sheer curiosity. What he found surprised him. It was concern, not for the Headmaster but for Harry. Severus doubted Dumbledore's claim that an imposter had infiltrated the castle and he was genuinely concerned for Harry's safety.

_Told you so._ Orpheus said smugly.

_Oh hush you!_ Harry sniped but couldn't help the feeling of ok you were right that trickled down the bond between them. Orpheus just chuckled and fell silent.

"He is shielding his mind. Harry would not know how to do such a thing." Dumbledore said not realizing that he had just made the mistake of admitting to looking into another person's mind without permission.

"Mr. Potter," Snape said directing his gaze to Harry. "Do I have permission to look into your mind in order to ascertain your identity?"

"Only if he removes his wand from my face." Harry said keeping his eyes focused on Dumbledore's wand. "It's making me cross eyed and it's starting to hurt."

"Headmaster lower your wand. Imposter or not I highly doubt the boy is going to attack us." Snape said to Dumbledore.

"You know as well as I do Severus that someone skilled in Occlumency can fabricate memories, especially if they stole memories from Harry." Dumbledore said firmly. He clearly wasn't thinking right at the moment and his wand was still firmly pointed at Harry.

"And you know as well as I do that a trained Legilimens that is also trained in Occlumency is able to detect such falsified memories." Severus reprimanded with a sneer. He was obviously unhappy with the Headmaster at the moment and the old man's stupidity didn't help matters. Dumbledore hesitated for a few more moments before he lowered his wand though it stayed ready in his hand. Harry blinked and rubbed the bridge of his nose to try and alleviate the tension caused by keeping his eyes crossed. "Now, may I look into your mind Potter?"

"Yes," Harry said after rubbing his eyes one last time before looking Snape directly in the eyes.

Harry felt Snape touch his mind. He knew Snape would notice the shields even if they were already down but he was banking on the man not mentioning them. The man slid gently through Harry's mind, examining memories as he went. Harry kept the things he didn't want known yet hidden deep within his mind behind strong Occlumency shields but left the irrelevant stuff, things like some of his less violent memories of life with the Dursleys and his time at Hogwarts, out in plain view for Severus to see. He even left the memory of him walking back up from Salazar's chamber, the Chamber of Secrets he had been informed, out there in an attempt to back up his story of wandering lost in a hidden passageway. Harry did edit the memory slightly to make sure there was no audio so Snape wouldn't listen in on the conversation he had with Orpheus. After several minutes Snape gently withdrew from Harry's mind and Harry raised his shields once again.

"I am confident that this is Harry Potter, Headmaster." Snape said turning his gaze to Dumbledore. "There is no sign of any deception towards his identity. I also saw that he was indeed wandering lost in a hidden passageway underneath the dungeons nor did I locate any Occlumency shields."

The old man stood there for a few seconds before promptly striding out of the Slytherin common room.

"I think the man may have transferred some of his brain matter into his clothing and that's why he has become so deranged _and _why his robes look awful." Orpheus whispered quietly and Harry had to fight not to crack up laughing but he couldn't help the snicker or two that escaped him.

"Care to explain what it is you find funny?" Snape said with a glare. He may have been concerned for Harry but it didn't help his anger at the boy being gone for over a day.

"Just a thought that popped into my brain." Harry said and went into further detail when Snape's glare worsened. "I just couldn't help but wonder if the Headmaster transferred some of his brain matter into his wardrobe and that is why his clothes look so ridiculous and why his intelligence seems to have decreased."

"Be that as it may," Snape started to reprimand but Harry could see the slight twitch in the man's lips and knew he was fighting off a smile of his own. "Would you care to explain just where you have been? In tunnels you may have been but lost you were not. Not to mention the fact that you _do_ know Occlumency when just two days ago you didn't even have the basics."

"Oh very well." Harry said moving over to sit in front of the fireplace. Once there he told Snape of what had happened yesterday afternoon after the carriages had left but when he got to the part where he fell into the passageway leading down underneath the castle he hesitated.

_Do you think he is trustworthy? _Harry asked Orpheus through their bond

_I believe so. _Orpheus responded after a moment's thought. _He seems to genuinely care for you and he could be a powerful ally in the future._

Harry thought on it a moment longer and decided to take a leap of faith and after making sure the wards were shielding their conversation Harry continued with his tale. "I did actually stumble into a secret passage but it was not as complex as I made the Headmaster believe. It actually led to a meeting chamber that was once used by the four founders. It was there that I learned Occlumency."

"In one day." Snape said after staring at Harry doubtfully for a few moments. He could believe that Harry had stumbled upon such a chamber, Hogwarts was massive and full of secrets that probably even the founders wouldn't know of, but Occlumency in one day was very nearly impossible.

"Yes well," Harry said trying to figure out how to explain this. "I had a very good and skilled teacher."

"And who was this teacher?" Snape said with a dark glower on his face that said he expected a truthful answer.

"Well… You have to understand that you may not believe the truth once you hear it." Harry said hesitantly. "However if you don't believe it I could provide proof. Before I continue to divulge myself though I would like it if you assured me in some way that you will not talk about any of this to anyone else without consulting me first though."

Snape stared hard at Harry for several long moments before deciding that it would be best if he knew. He gave Harry a wizard's oath saying that he would not divulge any aspect of the conversation without permission barring an extreme life or death situation where it would be necessary to know said information. "Now tell me." Snape snapped. The man obviously did not like binding himself in such manners.

"My teacher was the ghost of Salazar Slytherin. It appears that I am the heir to all four founders and they wished to protect me from having my mind raped by the Headmaster" Harry said in a slight rush and waited for Snape to fly off the handle so to speak and start berating him for telling outlandish stories.

"And this so called proof you have?" Snape said in an obvious attempt to control himself to keep from laying into the boy.

_Would you mind if you were revealed to him?_ Harry asked Orpheus.

_Not at all. Like I said he could be a powerful ally one day._ Orpheus responded easily.

"Well there are two types of proof." Harry said leaning forward. "One way is that I could show you something from the Chamber of Secrets that Salazar led me to after he taught me Occlumency. The other way would be for me to take you where I was."

"The Chamber of Secrets is not only supposed to be a myth but it is also supposedly extremely dangerous!" Severus snapped in annoyance. "There is no way that a first year managed to simply wander into such a place."

At the end of his sentence Snape froze as Harry's shirt began to move. Orpheus stretched out of Harry's collar and down his arm until he was coiled comfortably around Harry's arm and looking at Snape.

"Professor Snape." Harry said formally. "May I introduce Orpheus. He is a basilisk and the supposed monster of the Chamber of Secrets. He was Salazar's familiar and is now mine. Orpheus this is Professor Snape."

It was quite comical how Snape's eyes suddenly bulged and his jaw dropped and Harry couldn't help but giggle slightly. It was even more comical to see Snape work his jaw up and down in a failed attempt to speak that simply made him look like a fish out of water.

"You know," Orpheus said in amusement. "It hasss been ssssome time since I have been openly around other people and I must say I have missed being able to shock them like this." Harry couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"Impossible!" Snape said suddenly. Apparently Harry's chuckle had brought the man out of his stupor. "A basilisk that old would be larger than Hagrid. Not to mention the fact that, that snake is not a basilisk since I would be dead right now just from looking at it."

"Sssss," Orpheus said as he shifted back up Harry's arm and curled himself around Harry's neck and settled next to his ear. "I'm beginning to doubt the man's intelligence."

"Oh come now," Harry placated while gently rubbing the top of Orpheus' head. "He's just in shock and not thinking straight. You can't really blame him. It is a lot to take in."

"True." Orpheus said lazily. The snake loved it when his head was rubbed like that and it had been eons since someone had done it. The last person to do so was Salazar.

"You're a Parselmouth?" Severus whispered. The man was bouncing back and forth between stunned and outraged and Harry had to raise his Occlumency shields a little higher in order to reduce the emotions he was getting from the man since they were making him light headed.

"Yes," Harry said as he continued the stroking of Orpheus' head.

"How is that possible? It'd have to be inherited." Snape said seeming to forget what Harry had said earlier.

"I already explained that Professor." Harry said trying not to make a snide remark. "I am the heir to all four founders. That includes Salazar Slytherin, who was a Parselmouth."

Snape stood up suddenly. "You will show me this so called meeting room as well as the Chamber of Secrets tomorrow morning." He then promptly walked out of the Slytherin dorms.

"Do you think he got tired of being shocked so much?" Harry asked quietly after Severus had left.

"Likely," Orpheus said with a chuckle. "So. Where's my sausages?"

Harry burst out laughing. "I don't suppose you could lead me to the kitchens could you? You can have your sausages and I can have a late dinner."

"Certainly." Orpheus said as he resumed his position as a tattoo.

–Scene Break–

Dumbledore stood in the middle of his trashed office. He had gone straight back to his office after his encounter in the Slytherin dorms and proceeded to destroy almost everything in sight. He had lost control. He had lost control in front of witnesses and had nearly ruined everything! Dumbledore simply could not figure out what was wrong with him to have lost control like that. He trusted Severus' judgment in the identity of Harry but he knew Occlumency shields when he saw them and somehow Harry had managed to learn Occlumency in one day; _one day_. It was completely unheard of. Not even the most apt of minds could have done such a thing.

"There is obviously something going on that I am unaware of." Dumbledore said darkly as he went about repairing his office. His mood was also not helped by the continued absence of Fawkes, who had yet to return. "I must keep a closer watch on the boy and who he interacts with. And I must find away to ingrain the boy to me permanently." Dumbledore's eyes landed on the contents of the cabinet that had fallen open during his rampage. "And that should definitely help." Slowly a smile spread along his face as a plan slowly started to formulate within his mind.

–Scene Break–

Christmas came a week later. Harry woke that morning to find a good sized pile at the foot of his bed. He wasn't surprised to find presents there since he had been expecting some from Draco but he hadn't expected the quantity that was there. He crawled to the foot of his bed and took a quick look at the tags that were on some of them and was even further surprised to find a few presents from people he didn't even know. The one from the Weasley matriarch particularly surprised him since he wasn't anywhere near on good terms with the woman's son not to mention the fact that he had never met the woman. He hesitantly took the soft package and opened it. Inside he found a hand knitted sweater. It was emerald green with a golden H in the center. It was extremely soft and looked very comfortable. A note fell onto Harry's lap. He set the sweater down and picked up the note.

_Dear Harry,_

_You may not know me and you may not be friends with my son, I have heard of some of the things he has said and done and am not proud of him for it, but I knew you parents and we were good friends. I may not be overly fond of Slytherins but I doubt you will turn out like most of them have. Be careful in that house. Not all snakes are very friendly. I hope you enjoy your gift._

_Molly Weasley_

Harry couldn't help but smile slightly at the letter. Molly Weasley seemed to be a very nice woman indeed and it was very sweet of her to send him a sweater. He would have to think of a thank you gift to send her.

"Starting without me?" A sleepy voice said from the only other occupied bed in the room.

Harry turned to see Blaise sitting up and looking at him with a sleepy and playful smile on his face. After Harry had apologized to Blaise for disappearing the day after Harry came back from his impromptu meeting with the founders and explained the situation, with half truths of course, Harry and Blaise had become closer. They were the only two Slytherins left at Hogwarts and Blaise was already a good friend of Draco so it made sense that the two would start to socialize more.

"Hardly." Harry replied with a smirk. "This one just caught my eye and I couldn't help but wonder why the person was sending me a gift. Plus I didn't want to wake you."

"_And yet you have no qualms about waking me up._" Orpheus hissed quietly in Harry's ear.

_Hey you knew what you were getting into when you decided to stay with me. _Harry thought back with a mental smirk. _I certainly didn't force you into this or anything._

"Well considering it is Christmas I think I can forgive you this once." Blaise teased. He then proceeded to dig into his own pile of presents.

Harry put on his new sweater and followed suit. It wasn't long before he had everything unwrapped. Draco had given him several presents: a new wizards chess set, a wand holster, several books, each on different topics, various chocolates and candies, and even some owl treats for Hedwig. Blaise had gotten him some records of famous wizard musicians and Hermione had gotten him more books and a shirt she thought he'd like. The books he had gotten from his friends had explained the amount of presents he had been given but he had also received a gift or two from people he barely knew, such as the Weasley twins Fred and George. He had heard about the antics of those two a few days into term and had seen them in action so he just gently set that present aside and didn't even bother opening it.

"You missed one." Blaise said as he was cleaning up his wrapping paper mess and putting away his presents. Harry looked to where Blaise was pointing and saw a large puffy package that had fallen on the floor and half way under his bed.

"Odd." Harry said as he bent down to pick up the package. It was similar to the one Molly had sent him only larger.

"_I taste power._" Orpheus said as he slithered down Harry's arm under his shirt. "_Great power._" He added when he had gotten closer to the package in Harry's hand.

"What was that?" Blaise said looking around. Orpheus hadn't bothered to keep quiet when he spoke and Blaise had heard him, though thankfully it was just a hissing sound to him.

"What was what?" Harry said playing dumb.

"I thought I heard something hissing." Blaise said still looking around for the source of the noise.

"It was probably just some wrapping paper rustling." Harry said in a rather convincing lie. My bed is surrounded by the stuff and I could've shifted some."

"Probably." Blaise said with a shrug and went back to what he was doing.

_Keep your hissing quiet or speak mentally._ Harry scolded gently. He knew Orpheus was concerned for his safety, he could feel it across their bond, but he didn't want it to get out that Orpheus existed since he was an enormous advantage. So far the only person who knew of him was Snape, who had kept Harry busy over the past week exploring the Chamber and the meeting room.

_Sorry._ Orpheus said half distracted half seriously. He was still checking out the package in Harry's hands.

_Do you think it's dangerous? _Harry asked turning his attention back to the plain brown paper wrapped package. He noticed a note pinned by the ties that kept the wrapping together.

_I sense only power. There isn't any sign of dark magic. Although I do sense a tracking charm, which is odd and surprising. _Orpheus said with an experimental prod with his nose.

_You can sense exact spells?_ Harry asked in amazement as he gently put the package down and pulled the note free.

_Only a few._ Orpheus explained as he melded back into Harry's skin with his head on Harry's wrist. _I've been around long enough to recognize the signature of certain spells._

_That's nice._ Harry said and then broke into a smile and then started chuckling. "Oh he thinks he's so clever."

"Who?" Blaise said making his way over to Harry's bed.

"Dumbledore." Harry explained and smirked at the sneer that spread across Blaise's face. There wasn't a sole in Slytherin that actually liked the Headmaster.

"What on earth would that old fool be sending you a gift for?" Blaise said looking at the package.

"He's trying to manipulate me." Harry explained as he set aside the note and turned towards the package itself. "He thinks that by sending me something that used to belong to my father it'll make me grateful towards him and make me feel in his debt. In short he's trying to make me his obedient little weapon or something along those lines."

Blaise just snorted and watched as Harry opened his present. Harry pulled apart the paper and revealed an ancient looking silk cloak. He grabbed the edges and lifted it so he could get a proper look at it.

_Ah. _Orpheus said in realization. _That would explain the amount of power I am sensing._

_What is it?_ Harry asked but it was Blaise that answered.

"That's an invisibility cloak!" He said with a gasp. "Man does he want you under his thumb. These things are incredibly rare."

_That is not just an invisibility cloak. That is THE invisibility cloak. _Orpheus elaborated. _It will hide you completely from just about anything and everything. It is almost as old as Hogwarts. It will never wear or tear and not one spell will cause the cloak to reveal you. Dumbledore truly is a fool to have given this to you. I can see now why there is a tracking spell on the thing. I recommend you remove it before donning the cloak._

_I'm not sure I can._ Harry said shifting the cloak to look at it from every angle. _Tracking spells are rather advanced magic and I'm not sure I could counter it. They're supposed to be seventh year charms._

_Sssss. _Orpheus said and fell silent in thought.

"I guess the man is just that desperate as well as stupid." Harry said out loud in response to Blaise's earlier statement.

"I don't doubt it." Blaise said fingering the cloak in fascination. "So what are you going to do with it?"

"I'm not sure yet." Harry said laying the cloak down on his bed. He honestly couldn't think of any use for the cloak at the moment. They mystery about the mysterious object from Gringotts was pretty much solved. Harry and Draco knew it was supposed to be the sorcerer's stone that was now residing at Hogwarts, thanks to a few well placed questions to Hagrid, and that someone at Hogwarts was attempting to steal it for some reason. The cloak wouldn't be of much more use on the matter. "Perhaps I shall think of a use for it later. For now let's go to breakfast. I'm starved."

Blaise laughed and went to get dressed and Harry followed suit after hiding the cloak in his trunk. He donned a set of warm regular clothing, another gift from Draco, and put on the sweater from Mrs. Weasley to help keep him warm. The castle was not exactly known for its insulation.

"Hey you," Harry said playing with the feathers that were dangling down from the top of his bed. Fawkes had decided to take up residence at the foot of Harry's bed and at the top of one of his bed posts. Since Snape had kept Harry so busy over the past week the bird hadn't left since he had arrived as far as Harry knew. "We're going to breakfast. Did you want to come?"

The fiery bird took his head out from under his wing and looked down at Harry with black beady eyes that still looked sleepy. A couple of seconds passed before the bird seemed to register what Harry had said and he let out a few chirps and a warble that Harry interpreted as a yes since Fawkes glided down from his perch to settle on Harry's shoulder.

"How about you and I take a lazy day and search through some catalogs for a proper perch for you?" Harry said as he walked out of the dungeons while idly running his fingers through the soft and incredibly warm feathers on Fawkes' chest. The bird radiated such heat that Harry was actually comfortably warm instead of fighting for his warmth like he usually was during winter. At the mention of a proper perch Fawkes let out a long warble and then a series of rapid and excited chirps.

"You think he likes the idea?" Blaise chuckled.

"I'm not surprised." Harry said as he sat down. "I doubt that the bed posts are comfortable. Especially since he has had a perch to sit on in Dumbledore's office."

"Speaking of that," Blaise said as he sat down at the single round table in the Great Hall. Apparently Dumbledore had decided that since there were so few people left at Hogwarts for Christmas this year then they could all sit at one table. "Why is Dumbledore's phoenix suddenly hanging around you?"

Harry hesitated briefly. He hadn't had a chance to explain Fawkes' presence to Blaise. "I'm not sure really. He just showed up a week ago." Harry sat down next to Blaise. Other than a few Ravenclaws Harry and Blaise were the first ones at the table. Not even the teachers were at the table yet.

"I wonder if he got tired of the old man's manipulations?" Blaise joked and Harry couldn't help but laugh along considering that Blaise was dead on and had no idea.

After getting their laughter under control Harry started loading his plate. He took a bowel and filled it with various fruits and set it aside for Fawkes to eat. Fawkes hopped off of Harry's shoulder and perched on the edge of the table and started tearing into the fruit.

-Scene Break-

It was halfway through breakfast when Dumbledore made his way into the Great Hall. He had been monitoring the tracking charm he placed on the cloak and was reviewing his plans for Harry when he figured that he should make an appearance for breakfast. However when he got to the Great Hall he froze at the sight before him. His phoenix that had been absent for the past week was sitting on the table next to Harry eating a bowel of fruit and Harry was idly stroking the bird's feathers in between bites of his own food.

At first he was happy that Fawkes was hanging out with Harry. It meant that the phoenix approved of the boy and that he was on the side of the light. But then Dumbledore thought about it and he grew jealous. If Fawkes was with Harry now then it meant that the phoenix was most likely with Harry for the past week since Dumbledore had found no sign of the phoenix anywhere in the castle during that time.

Trying to control his temper Dumbledore made his way over to the table and sat down. His plans would work. They were clever and everything was in place. The boy would soon be looking to him for answers and help. And that was when the boy would be his.

-Scene Break-

It was halfway through breakfast; Harry was eating his meal peacefully and chatting with Blaise along with the other students who had filtered into the hall when he felt negative emotions crawling through his system. Ever since he learned Occlumency he had gotten much better at differentiating between his natural emotions and those coming from other people. He turned towards the source of the emotion and saw Dumbledore walking into the hall.

The man may have looked happy and may have been smiling at everyone at the table but Harry saw the stiffness in his movements and the way Dumbledore avoided looking at him and Fawkes. Not to mention Harry could feel the man's anger and jealousness. No matter the strength of someone's Occlumency shields they could never fully protect against an empath like Harry.

"Merry Christmas everyone," Dumbledore said seemingly cheerfully. Harry felt the man's emotions neutralize as he continued to ignore Harry and Fawkes and everyone smiled back at him with a Merry Christmas of their own.

Harry just smirked and continued his conversation with Blaise. Fawkes chirped a few times and nibbled at Harry's hand. He chuckled and absently put a few more oranges into Fawkes bowel while never breaking the conversation Blaise and he were holding about fashion, which the boy seemed to be fascinated with. They were his favorite fruit and apparently the bird couldn't get enough of them. The conversation between Blaise and Harry was actually mostly one sided as Blaise educated Harry in Wizarding World fashion as well as muggle.

"So what do you have planned for the rest of the day?" Blaise asked as they stood up to head back to the dungeons. Harry paused as Fawkes settled on his shoulder and then walked out of the hall with Blaise, ignoring the spike of fury and jealousy coming from Dumbledore.

"Mostly looking for a perch for Fawkes," Harry said. "Oh and I have to send off a few letters. Particularly one to Draco since I promised I would send him one once I found out some information but I haven't had the time."

"Oh," Blaise said in playfully dangerous tone. "You better get on that. He's probably going out of his mind with worry over not hearing from you."

"I don't doubt it." Harry said with a half smile. He actually didn't mind having someone worry about him the way Draco did but he really should write him soon since he was probably tearing his hair out.

Harry grabbed a catalog from the magical menagerie and settled down at a table. He opened the catalog to the section for perches and set it aside for Fawkes to look at from his shoulder while he wrote a letter to Draco and a thank you letter to Mrs. Weasley for the sweater. It didn't take him very long to compose either letter. The one to Draco was actually rather short and the one to Molly was a little longer but nothing overly complicated, just a thank you for the nice gift. It may have not taken long but it was just long enough. When he had finished Mrs. Weasley's letter Fawkes chirped and nibbled at his ear to get his attention.

"Oh that's a nice one." Harry said with a smile when he saw the perch that Fawkes was pointing out with his claw.

-Scene Break-

Draco Malfoy was politely eating lunch with his family while trying to ignore his worry as much as possible. Harry had promised to write over the holidays but he had yet to hear from him and he was getting worried. Harry was pretty good at keeping his promises and when he failed to do so it usually meant that something was wrong or had come up to prevent him from writing.

Suddenly a burst of fire flared above and in front of Draco. It lasted all of half a second but it still scared the piss out of everyone sitting at the table. After getting over his shock though Draco noticed that a letter had fluttered down to the table. The edges looked slightly scorched, signaling that it had indeed been left by the fire, but the letter was otherwise unharmed by the flames.

"What in the world was that?" Narcissa said in shock as she lowered her arm. When the flames had appeared she had instinctually raised her arms to shield herself.

"It's a letter from Harry." Draco said in shock as he read the name on the envelope that was sitting innocently in front of his plate. He honestly had no idea how or why Harry had sent a letter using fire. However the stray red and gold feather that was lying next to the letter told him that maybe it was not just fire he had used. He eagerly grabbed the envelope and ripped it open:

_Dear Draco,_

_Firstly I wish to apologize for not writing sooner. Something came up that kept me busy for the past week. I wished to inform you that I have answers to some of our questions, a lot of them actually. However I cannot go into much detail incase this letter happens to fall into the wrong hands by mistake. Just know that everything is fine and I have simply been busy. I hope you are having a good Christmas with your family and that you enjoy your presents. I will see you at the start of term. _

_Merry Christmas,_

_Harry_

Draco smiled slightly and he breathed a sigh of relief. Harry was well and everything was ok. He folded the letter and put it away and returned to eating the last of his lunch.

-Scene Break-

"Thank you my friend." Harry said as he handed Fawkes an orange sometime around noon. He had just sent Hedwig off to the magical menagerie with his order for Fawkes' perch. Fawkes simply chirped a response and nibbled on Harry's ear before tearing into his orange.

"_I think I may have a solution to the problem of your cloak." _Orpheus suddenly hissed. The snake had been quiet all day. Harry could tell the snake was thinking seriously about something so he left him alone.

"_Oh?" _Harry responded after making sure that no one was near him as he made his way down to Great Hall for lunch. He also made sure that the wards were shielding their conversation from any prying ears and especially Dumbledore since the man could use the castle's wards to listen in on conversations.

"_Yes." _Orpheus said as shifted his position a little bit to where his nose poked out slightly above his clothing so his eye could be seen. "_I believe that it would be within your power to simply transfer the tracking charm to something else. It is not that complicated and does not take that much power since you are not countering the charm. Since Dumbledore is the one that cast the spell it would take as much or more power than Dumbledore used in casting the spell in order to counter it. Transferring the charm from one object to another will not require very much power."_

Harry thought about it for a moment before saying, _"That actually might work."_ He had studied a little bit about transferring spells. It was only fourth year level work but didn't look all that complicated. _"Thank you Orpheus. I think you deserve some more sausages for that."_

Orpheus promptly hissed and wriggled in pleasure. The thousand year old snake had sampled thousands of types of foods over his life span but in his opinion nothing was better than the sausages at Hogwarts. He found them simply delicious. He wasn't sure why but he thought it may have to do something with the house elves, who knew about Orpheus and had promised to make sure a small plate of sliced sausages was always discretely placed next to Harry's when he asked for it whether he was in the Great Hall or in the kitchens.

"Hey Harry." Blaise said when Harry sat down next to him at the single round table that occupied the Great Hall. "How was perch shopping?" He asked as he handed Fawkes a handful of grapes which the bird promptly devoured before turning his attention to the bowel Harry placed on the table.

"It was alright." Harry said as he loaded his own plate with food and pulling a plate of sausages to sit just next to his left hand so Orpheus could sneak out of his sleeve and nab a sausage when no one was looking. "Fawkes was mainly the one that did the looking. I spent my time writing letters."

"I see." Blaise said with knowing smirk. "Who else were you writing?"

"Mrs. Weasley." Harry said with a shrug. "And the menagerie of course."

"Why on earth were you sending a letter to a Weasley?" Blaise asked incredulously, pausing in mid bite.

Harry plucked his sweater to draw Blaise's attention to it. "She sent me this sweater. Apparently she was good friends with my parents. She also seems to not approve of the actions of her youngest actions."

"Uh huh..." Blaise said a little unsure about things. "Well I wouldn't tell Draco about that. The Malfoy's and the Weasley's are not exactly friendly."

"I know." Harry said taking a bite of his meal with a slight grimace. He knew the topic of his sweater would come up and most likely be a sore topic between him and Draco and he was not looking forward to dealing with it.

-Scene Break-

The rest of Christmas holidays passed smoothly. After the first week Harry had tied Snape into the wards that guarded, what he had dubbed, The Sanctuary under the condition that the man not try and remove anything. None the less Harry had made sure that the wards, no matter who was tied to them, would allow no one to take anything but him. He had also refused to allow Severus into The Chamber of Secrets without him present. Remarkably that wasn't even very difficult to do since you had to be a Parselmouth in order to gain entrance.

It was now the day before the start of term and Harry was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the carriages from Hogsmeade with the returning students. He was standing on the top of the astronomy tower staring out at the scenery while keeping any eye on the gates through the wards. The view from up here was absolutely gorgeous and Harry couldn't get enough of it. The sight of the mountains behind him, the lake to his right, the endless plains to his left, and Hogsmeade with more mountains before him. It was three in the afternoon and the carriages were due any second but Harry was easily getting lost in the view. It promised freedom as well as chains; glory and misery. There were wonders not found in these terrains that thousands of years had yet to yield, even to wizards. The only people that were likely to have discovered anything were the founders but neither their ghosts nor their paintings had said anything about it.

Suddenly the wards went off in Harry's mind, alerting him to the carriages crossing the boundary lines. Harry jolted slightly at the sudden noise but he quickly calmed down. It had taken most of Christmas holidays but Harry was finally getting used to the various sounds, tones, and images that the backup wards fed him on a regular basis. Once his holidays had settled down Harry had spent most of his time socializing with the wards and strengthening his bond between Orpheus and Fawkes. He and Fawkes could now roughly communicate mentally but it was only with images and Harry now completely understood what all the birds various chirps and squawks meant.

Harry descended down the steps of the astronomy tower and made his way towards the entrance hall to greet Draco and Hermione. Harry didn't know why but Draco seemed to be slightly uneasy around Hermione. They got along well in private when only Harry was the other person around but when there were other people present he seemed stiff and on edge. Harry suspected that it had something to do with the pureblooded bigotry that he heard ran through the pureblood lines. He knew that Draco didn't believe in such things but he knew that his family had to keep up public appearances.

"Harry!" A high and happy voice called bringing Harry out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Hermione running towards him with a bright and happy smile on her face. "Harry I love my present! I can't thank you enough! How was your Christmas? I hope you weren't too bored. Did you get a lot of presents?"

"Slow down Hermione!" Harry laughed at the rapid fire questions. "I'm glad you liked the books and your happiness is all the thanks I require. My Christmas was good if albeit interesting. I wasn't bored and I got a decent amount of presents surprisingly."

"Oh that's great!" Hermione said. She was clearly excited about seeing Harry again and she couldn't contain herself. "Did you find anything about Halloween?" She whispered.

"I knew I forgot something!" Harry said in realization. "I'm sorry! I totally got distracted and forgot to send you a letter over the holidays about that!"

"So you found something?" Hermione tried to clarify. This subject was of great interest to her since it was something she couldn't figure out. She was obsessed with information and answers and when she couldn't figure something out it vexed her immensely.

"I did but we'll talk about that later." Harry said with a negligent wave. "Later when there aren't many prying ears. So how were your holidays?"

"They were good." Hermione said with a smile. "Although my parents might be a little deaf now because of how high I squealed when I opened your present." Harry laughed at that. He had bought Hermione an expanded special addition of Hogwarts A History along with various other texts that he knew she would enjoy, such as Advanced Runes for Enthusiasts.

"I'm glad to hear it Hermione." Harry said happily. "Aside from their hearing issues of course."

"Who has hearing issues?" An amused voice drawled. Harry looked up and saw Draco walking up the steps with a happy smirk on his face.

"Hermione's parents." Harry said with a happy smile at Draco's appearance. He resisted the urge hug the blond but Harry knew that Draco was uncomfortable with doing anything like that in public so he restrained himself. Draco only had an appearance of being a cold bastard simply because of his family's reputation but when he was around his friends he was a completely different person. "Apparently Hermione was a little loud upon opening my present for her."

Draco laughed. "I can see why they would have hearing issues." Draco said with a chuckle. They all knew that Hermione could have a set of lungs when she wanted. Before he could say anything else Fawkes flew through the halls trilling a song and landed on Harry's shoulder.

The others marveled at the glorious bird but Harry sensed a tension in the bird's demeanor. He diligently listened to the chirps and images that flittered through his mind across their bond. What he was told did not make him Happy.

"Harry?" Hermione said snapping her fingers in front of Harry's face to try and gain his attention.

"Hmmm?" Harry said coming out of his trance. Their bond may have strengthened over the holidays since they had bonded but it still took most of his concentration to communicate with Fawkes. "What?"

"Care to explain the bird?" Draco drawled pointing at Fawkes, who promptly squawked indignantly at being thought of as a common avian.

"Oh," Harry said with a glance at Fawkes before gesturing for his two closest friends to follow him and started towards the dungeons. "Yeah, come on. We got a little while before dinner and we can spend that time talking about what we can." As he walked Harry turned back to Fawkes. "Do you think you can keep an eye on him for me? See if you can gain any more information?" Fawkes chirped in agreement before flying off.

"Harry where are we going?" Hermione asked. "You know I can't enter another student's house without permission."

"It doesn't matter." Draco cut in giving Harry's back a very curious and strange glance. "We're nowhere near the Slytherin dormitories. If I recall correctly we aren't anywhere near any sort of rooms at all. Even Professor Snape's rooms aren't anywhere near here."

"Nope," Harry agreed with a nod. Harry had been silently conversing with Orpheus about the information Fawkes had given him and just what exactly it meant but he had been half paying attention to the conversation going on between Draco and Hermione.

"Then where are we going?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"Somewhere we can talk in private." Harry explained just as he turned a corner in the dungeons that lead to the dead end Dumbledore had pinned him in at the start of the holidays.

"A dead end?" Draco said snidely in a very Snape like manner. "Harry the lake would be more private than a dead end where anyone could be listening just around the corner."

"Really?" Harry asked with a smirk as he opened the passage that would lead down to the Sanctuary. "Even if there's a passage here that'll keep any prying ears away?" His two friends merely gaped at him for a few seconds before smiling at Harry in delight.

Over the next hour and a half Harry explained to his two first and best friends most of what had transpired during the holidays at Hogwarts. The two were amazed at the secret room and even more stunned when they discovered the portraits of the founders. It had taken Harry several minutes to pry them away from gawking at the paintings so they could sit down while he explained but he honestly didn't mind. The first time he had come here he had fainted. During his explanation Harry had left a few things out, such as Orpheus and The Chamber of Secrets, but other than that he told them everything and aside from their furry at Dumbledore's actions they were both shocked, amazed, and thrilled about what they had been told.

"So basically now own Hogwarts?" Hermione asked a few minutes after Harry finished his story.

"No," Draco answered before Harry could. "Harry's not of age in the eyes of the ministry so he cannot legally own any sort of property or business. Not to mention they probably don't even know about Harry's lineage. However once he does become of age he could own Hogwarts although he would probably have to jump through many hoops and sign a lot of forms before anyone would even consider him even so much as an heir to even one of the founders."

"Unfortunately." Harry agreed with a grimace. He was not looking forward to that. "However I do have control over the backup wards that the castle has. I should have control over the main wards but Dumbledore did something incredibly stupid that prevents anyone but him or someone he approves of from having control over the wards."

"What?" Hermione practically screamed, causing both Harry and Draco to rub their ears with a wince. "What if he died before approving of someone to take over? The man isn't immortal or invulnerable. That much is obvious about what happened with the troll on Halloween. He obviously is unfit to be in charge of such an important school."

"I happen to agree with you Hermione." Harry said in an attempt to placate the irate woman. "Unfortunately there isn't much we can do about it until we can figure out what exactly it is that Dumbledore did to the wards."

"He's right." Draco agreed. "The most we can do is follow Fawkes' example and try and mitigate the consequences of the old man's stupidity. Speaking of which did you discover anything else about the stone?"

"Not really." Harry said with a shrug and a head shake. "There really isn't much else to discover aside from its location, which is somewhere in the dungeons actually. The third floor is just a longer way to get to it and is meant to distract and divert anyone attempting to get to the stone."

"You know it's location and haven't done anything about it?" Hermione said sounding slightly outraged. She had been brought in on the mystery a little while after Halloween and she had proven very useful when researching the topic.

"I only know that it is somewhere in the dungeons. There is powerful magic and wards guarding it's presence and the wards I'm connected to can't pinpoint it exactly." Harry explained. He idly glanced at the clock and realized it was only ten minutes before dinner. "Come on we should go. I'm sure people are wondering where we are." They all got up to leave. "Not that way." He said when Hermione and Draco went towards the door they came through in. "That's a one way door."

Harry lead them out the other door and through the secret passageways until they came out right next to the Great Hall. Given the amount of people milling about no one even noticed that they came out of a door that technically wasn't even there.

"Welcome back and a Happy New Year to you all." Dumbledore said with a grandfatherly smile on his face as he stood at the Head Table staring out at all the students gathered in the hall for dinner. "I hope you all had a wonderful holiday break. Tomorrow classes begin but for now let us eat!"

With that the feast began and everyone talked about their holidays as they ate. None of them were quite ready to discuss the classes that would start tomorrow so they all laughed and joked and shared what they got for Christmas over the holidays.


	4. Chapter 4: Second Term and Final Days

**Disclaimer: **The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me.

**A/N: **Okay everyone here's the new chapter. I hope you guys enjoy! :-) lemme know what you think!

* * *

><p>CHAPTER FOUR: SECOND TERM AND FINAL DAYS<p>

Harry Potter was… annoyed. And that was putting it lightly. It had only been a month since classes had resumed. A MONTH and Harry was ready to start firing off hexes at anyone who dared approach him. Dumbledore had taken to the practice of avoiding Harry as much as possible, which was pretty much all the time, and that was fine by Harry. No. What had him at his wits ends was everyone else on top of what Harry knew to be Dumbledore attempting to inadvertently lead Harry through the already solved mystery of the Sorcerer's Stone.

Harry knew he just _knew_ that Dumbledore had something to do with the Weasley's change in attitude too. The boy would not leave Harry alone and kept going on about how he had found out about a three headed dog on the third floor a few days after returning to school and how he had noticed that it was guarding something. Then there were the completely random people approaching him under the guise of studying in order to try and become friends with him, many of whom were Gryffindors which made Harry suspect Dumbledore was behind that too. Harry wasn't stupid. That entire house practically loathed Slytherins, famous or not.

In fact only the Ravenclaws would make friends indiscriminately between all the houses. Hufflepuff would too but even they tended to avoid Slytherins. Harry was almost positive that not one single Gryffindor had a friend that resided in the house of snakes which made it all the more strange that several times a day Harry had a Gryffindor walk up to him and start talking.

It had gotten to the point where Harry would start hiding in the farthest and darkest corner of the library whenever he needed to get away from everyone. The only people he would let around him was Hermione and Draco, both of whom seemed just as peeved about the attention he was getting as Harry was. Unfortunately none of them could do much about it so they did their best to ignore it.

"Go away." Harry stated firmly not looking up from his text. He had been studying quietly in the library for the past hour. It was the first Saturday of February and Harry had been forced to retreat to the library only a few hours after leaving the Slytherin dorms. He had thought about hiding out in the Slytherin common room but had vetoed that idea since Hermione wouldn't be able to locate him if she wanted to talk or study together.

"It's just me Harry." Said Ravenclaw stated as she sat down with her own pile of books and book bag. "How many today?"

"Ten since I sat down in the library." Harry said petulantly as he set his quill down and gave Hermione an apologetic look for telling her to go away, which she simply ignored having immediately forgiven him. "I swear if it wouldn't raise suspicions I would simply start using the wards to shield my presence from everyone."

"Why don't you just go down to the sanctuary then?" Hermione asked as she started pulling out some quill and ink so she could start working on her own homework.

"Same reason really." Harry explained with a shrug. "Dumbledore maybe physically avoiding me but I'm sure he's keeping tabs on whereabouts and who I hang out with through the wards and the gossip mill. I swear the man is losing it."

"I don't doubt that." Hermione said with an angry expression. She was still furious with the old man after find out what he had done to endanger everyone at the school. "I still can't believe he's trying to keep you and Draco apart."

Harry made a noncommittal and highly angry sound. He was still furious about that. Two weeks into the second term some random Gryffindor, cajoled by Dumbledore in some way no doubt, had approached Harry and quite casually said that he should stop hanging out with 'that Malfoy scumbag' claiming that he was a back stabbing, two faced, snake that should be put down. The boy was still up in the hospital wing in critical condition. Harry had received a week's worth of detention and a loss of fifty points for transfiguring a student's tongue into a very live and very poisonous snake that was, coincidentally, still attached to the boy's mouth.

Harry wasn't entirely certain how he had managed that little piece of magic, since he had never transfigured anything living yet, and if it hadn't been for witnesses he probably wouldn't have been punished given the complexity and difficulty of the magic, but it had done the trick. For three blissful days he had been left alone and when they started bugging him again not a single person openly tried to break apart his and Draco's relationship again. Oh they tried to be subtle about it, spreading rumors and showing up when Harry and Draco were together with no one else around, but Harry wasn't taking the bait either way and refused to break like that again, even if it had been immensely satisfying to watch the other boy try and scream with a snake for a tongue.

"So what're you working on?" Harry asked in an attempt to distract himself from his dark thoughts. It may have been satisfying at the time but it merely scared him now. He wasn't an evil person and even though the boy had royally pissed him off Harry didn't want him to die.

"Astronomy," Hermione said with a huff. "I'm only just now getting around to the essay that's due on Monday and I find these charts rather difficult to read and I have no idea if I'm doing this right."

"Here let me see." Harry said holding out a hand for her charts. He had finished his Astronomy paper already and his charms essay wasn't due until Wednesday and he was already halfway done. Harry was actually very good at Astronomy given that he had spent countless hours staring up at the sky when he was hiding from either Dudley or Vernon. "Ok," Harry said after a few minutes. He got up and moved to crouch next to Hermione to make sure he wasn't confusing her with upside down or backwards charts. "First of all I think this would be easier for you if you traced out the constellations on your charts. It'll make them easier to see when you're trying to use them for homework or tests."

"I can't believe I didn't think of that." Hermione said in shock.

"It's ok," Harry said with a chuckle. "I didn't think of it either until I got fed up with trying to trace them with my eyes alone. Now…" Harry went on to give Hermione more tips to make Astronomy a little easier for her before returning to his seat and continuing with his own homework.

"Harry!" A loud and grating voice called several minutes after Harry and Hermione had settled into a comfortable silence as they worked on their homework. "What're you doing inside? It's Saturday and it's rather nice outside."

Harry, having recognized the voice, immediately stiffened and stoically ignored the annoying redhead and continued with his homework. Hermione, having heard the voice as well, decided to follow Harry's example and ignored the approaching boy.

"Come on Harry." Weasley said. For some reason the boy was under the impression that he and Harry were the best of friends. "Let's go down to the lake and tease the squid." When Harry continued to ignore him Weasley made the mistake of laying a hand on Harry's shoulder and giving him a little shake.

"Go away Weasley," Harry snapped and slapped the boy's hand off of his shoulder. Harry could feel his wand practically vibrating in its holster on his arm and it was taking all of his self control not to take it out and hex the hair off of Weasley's head.

"But Harry!" Weasley whined and Harry snapped. He slapped his hands down on the table, stood up, and turned to face Weasley in the span of a single second.

"We are not friends." Harry said in a deathly calm voice that spoke countless volumes of just how furious Harry was. The emerald fire that was burning in Harry's eyes only served to make him look all the more imposing. "We have never been friends and we will never be friends. You are annoying, childish, selfish, arrogant, rude, hurtful, inconsiderate, thick headed and outright stupid." Harry lashed out verbally as he deftly stalked towards the now cowed redheaded first year. "Ever since school started in September you have done nothing but insult my friends and myself. You've insulted our intelligence and demeaned _my_ life with every word that leaves your mouth. We. Are. Not. Friends. Leave us alone and spread the word that if one more person from your house so much as looks at me wrong then they're going to end up in the hospital wing."

Weasley looked about to protest but apparently the child had some sort of brains in his head since he turned and ran out of the library. After taking a few moments to control his breathing Harry turned back to the table he was sitting at and resumed his seat and homework. Hermione grinned slightly at him before continuing with her own homework. Unfortunately neither got very far and was disturbed once again. This time though it was by sarcastic clapping coming from the bookshelves. Harry turned to see Professor Snape walking towards them with an amused smirk on his face.

"I must say," Snape said when he had finished clapping and folded his arms. "That was well done. I do not think even I could have gotten through that child's insanely thick skull. Well done indeed."

"Thanks." Harry said with a smirk. He leaned back in his chair and relaxed slightly at the presence of the potions master. "I'm glad I could be of service. However I doubt you came here for entertainment so what brings you to this darkened corner of the library?"

Snape smirked at Harry's deductive reasoning. "You are correct. I actually came here to ask a favor from Orpheus."

"The musician from Greek Mythology?" Hermione asked in confusion. Even in the Wizarding World where people tended to have older and stranger names but she had never come across anyone named after a Greek myth, especially such a story that wasn't widely told. Most families chose British, Latin, or Roman names. Maybe even French depending on the family's heritage or preferences but she hadn't seen it go beyond that.

"That is where the name comes from," Harry said a little nervously. He had forgotten that he hadn't told Hermione and Draco about Orpheus. He had held off on telling them that little secret until he could figure out how to tell them and he didn't want to overwhelm them considering everything he had already told them. It wasn't every day that you learn that you're keeping the world's most dangerous snake as a tattoo. "However that isn't who he's referring to."

"I'm surprised she doesn't already know." Snape said with an eyebrow raised at Harry. "I figured you'd have told her the moment she got off of the carriages in January."

"Tell me what?" Hermione said sounding offended, hurt, and curious all at the same time.

"Considering everything I had already told you," Harry said sending a slightly annoyed glance at Snape. "I didn't want to overwhelm you and Draco with too much information at once." Harry had the wards shield their presence and conversation before removing his cloak and sweater, revealing Orpheus, who was currently taking a nap. The cold weather had a tendency to cause the ancient snake to become very sleepy, despite being in direct contact with another heat source and being covered in warm clothing.

"You got a tattoo of a snake?" Hermione said now sounding completely and utterly baffled. She also steadfastly ignored the several signs of abuse that littered Harry's chest.

Harry had told her some of his life of living with his Aunt and Uncle, who apparently weren't biologically related to him at all, but she had never thought it got to the point where it would leave such scars. There was barely any skin on Harry's chest that wasn't scarred in some way. It was mostly burns but there were places that had long jagged scars that indicated some sort of sharp implement was used or maybe a whip since they would leave such wounds. There was also the very obvious sign of neglect. Harry's scarred torso was unhealthily thin. His ribs were painfully visible. It was obvious that several months of proper meals had helped to improve Harry's condition but he was still far from healthy.

"Not exactly," Harry said missing the stiff demeanor of both Hermione and Snape. He gently rubbed Orpheus' head to wake him up. Much to Hermione's complete surprise the snake yawned widely before opening its outer eyelids. Harry quickly explained the situation to Orpheus and managed to coax the sleepy snake into coming out of his skin momentarily. "Hermione this is Orpheus. He was Salazar Slytherin's familiar and is now mine. He is a basilisk. I hope you can understand why I didn't tell you sooner and forgive me for it."

Hermione stared mutely at Orpheus for several long minutes. It was obvious she was in shock at seeing a tattoo not only move but also come to life as well. It wasn't until Orpheus had slithered his way across the table give Hermione a raspberry on the cheek in way of greeting that she finally reacted.

"Well I suppose that's better than some of the scenarios that I had envisioned." Harry commented when Hermione flopped down onto the table unconscious.

"Indeed." Snape said as he finally managed to tear his eyes away from Harry's scared body as he put back on his sweater. "And I find myself in a curious position of not being able to blame her. After all it is not every day, even in our world, when you find a magical creature able to conceal itself in such a manner."

"So," Harry said turning his attention back to Snape as he lowered the wards to reveal their presence but kept their conversation private. "You wanted a favor?"

"Yes," Snape said seeming to come out of some deep thought. "I wished to ask Orpheus if he would be willing to provide me with a vial of his venom. There is no known cure for Basilisk venom outside of a phoenix's healing tears and I believe that to be because no one has been able to obtain enough of it to properly test it without getting poisoned or eaten. Also there are likely several other magical properties the venom could have that have yet to be discovered and I wish to experiment."

Suddenly Orpheus started hissing in a strange manner that caused both Harry and Snape to look at him in concern. At first Harry thought the snake was choking on something but then he noticed the amusement coming across their bond and he realized the snake was laughing.

"_And just what is so funny?_" Harry asked looking down at the snake that had curled around Harry's chest on the outside of his sweater instead of returning to his position as a tattoo.

"_Trust a potions master to be more concerned with potions experiments than someone who just fainted._" Orpheus said after he had managed to restrain his laughter to small giggles. Harry couldn't help but chuckle at that himself. "_In answer to his request though the answer is yes. He may have some of my venom._"

"He said yes Professor." Harry told Snape, completely bypassing the source of Orpheus' hilarity since he didn't think that Snape would be too appreciative of the joke at his expense. "When did you want us to come down to give you some?"

"I have a vial here with me." Snape said pulling out an empty potion vial from inside his robes. Harry heard Orpheus attempting to stifle more giggles and his own smile widened slightly.

After giving Snape the requested sample the man walked off and left Harry to deal with Hermione. It took him a few minutes but he finally managed to get the girl to wake up. He then spent the better part of the next hour and a half apologizing and explaining about Orpheus. Two hours after that Harry repeated the process with Draco though thankfully he didn't faint.

–Scene Break–

Severus Snape stood over a cauldron in his personal labs later that night thinking. His request for venom from Orpheus had been legitimate but it had not been the only reason, or even the primary one, for his visit. The main reason was that he wanted to check up on the boy given the month he had. As much as it pained him to admit it, Severus was growing to care deeply for the child. Severus Snape may have been a lot of things but one trait he prided himself on was that he never lied to himself, even if he lied left and right to everyone else.

As he stood their brewing a common potion needed in the Hospital Wing, something he could do blindfolded given how many times he had brewed it already, he grew even more concerned for Harry. Like Minerva, Severus had never thought it to be a good idea to leave Harry with those muggles. He had observed them just like Minerva had, albeit in his own way, and found them to be absolutely repulsive. Sadly he had caved though when the Headmaster had explained why the child should be left with them.

Severus never thought those disgusting muggles would have abused Harry though. He had been reluctant but had believed Dumbledore when the man said that they would care for Harry if they had explained the situation to them. However Severus was beginning to wonder just what Dumbledore had explained or if the man had ever checked up on Harry. Unfortunately the scars he had seen littering Harry's torso and the obvious sign of neglect said that not only did Dumbledore not check up on him but neither did anyone else.

"What have you done Albus?" Severus whispered aloud. He was starting to question the old man's seemingly absolute good nature and wonder just how many times Dumbledore had done something similar without anyone realizing it.

As he brewed Severus vowed to keep a much closer watch over Harry and to be more observant when it came to dealing with the Headmaster.

–Scene Break–

Ronald Weasley was, to put it mildly, furious. First there was the catastrophe of first term. Then he gets a verbal thrashing over Christmas break from his mother for his behavior at school and now this. He couldn't believe Harry had said such things, such _lies_. And he honestly didn't know what he had done wrong. He had followed the Headmaster's advice. He had acted as Harry's friend and tried to pull him away from the vial influences of the Slytherins, especially that wretched Malfoy, and he had tried to get Harry involved with that strange three headed dog on the third floor.

But Harry had refused to cooperate. And when Ron had tried to get the rest of his house to help him in his endeavor Harry had put one boy in the infirmary and had told everyone else to go away. It was obvious to Ronald that Harry was being corrupted by the Slytherins and would soon become the next Dark Lord. What concerned Ron the most was that he was the only one that could see it. Everyone else was too besotted by the image of the Boy-Who-Lived. This meant that he had to get to whatever it was that was hidden on the third floor before Harry could discover it and use it against them all.

Scowling at the ceiling of his four poster bed Ron began to put together the knowledge of what he knew and plotted ways to keep Harry from destroying them all.

–Scene Break–

"You know that Severus has been teaching me Occlumency since I was six and that I've been coaching Hermione in it as much as possible," Draco said later that night in the privacy of their dorm room. Dinner was over and Blaise, Theodore Nott, Goyle, and Crabbe where all down in the common room doing homework, relaxing in front of the fire, or digesting their food depending on who you were looking at. "Why didn't you just tell us when you told us everything else? Do you not trust us?"

"No!" Harry said vehemently. Draco's hurt feelings and Harry's own guilt were combining to make Harry highly emotional. "It isn't that at all Draco. I just didn't want to overwhelm you guys with too much information at once and to be honest I just didn't know how to tell you that I'm carrying around a highly dangerous and venomous snake that is posing as a tattoo. I was going to let what I had already told you settle in for a few days before I told you about Orpheus. But then the whole school decided to go crazy and wouldn't give me a moment's peace and the subject of Orpheus just left my mind. I didn't mean to deliberately keep you guys in the dark for so long." Harry had started pacing during his rant and given the past month of stress and his highly emotional state at the moment Harry wasn't surprised to find tears coming to his eyes. He went over to his bed and sat down in a broken heap facing away from Draco and started to silently cry.

"Harry," Draco said in dismay. He honestly hadn't meant to accuse Harry like that but he had felt rather hurt that Harry hadn't told him something like that right away. However knowing Harry like he did he could understand his reasoning and that he truly was trying to be gentle with his friends by not giving them too much overwhelming information at once. Realizing that Harry was actually crying made Draco realize that, despite the strong front that he put on to the entire school, Harry was no older than he was and just trying to survive in a world that he knew little about and one that had wronged him in many, many ways.

"Shhhhh," Draco said gently. He went up to Harry and wrapped him in a hug. "I'm sorry Harry."

"Why are you sorry?" Harry said through his silent sobs. "You have nothing to be sorry about."

"I'm sorry for accusing you like that." Draco explained as he rubbed calming circles on Harry's. He pulled Harry closer and was happy when Harry didn't resist and actually burrowed into his chest. "I shouldn't have done that and I should've heard you out before getting angry too. Especially since my emotions were probably stressing you out even more than you already are."

"Well it's not exactly your fault." Harry said sounding miserable and his silent sobs worsened.

Draco just continued to hold and comfort Harry. It didn't occur to Draco before then just how stressed the eleven year old boy had been ever since school had started up again and he silently berated himself for not noticing earlier.

"Don't." Harry said quietly.

"Don't what?" Draco asked in confusion.

"Don't beat yourself up over not noticing how stressed I've been." Harry said with a yawn as he unconsciously snuggled deeper into Draco's arms. "If I didn't realize it then there's no reason you should have."

"How did you know what I was thinking?" Draco asked in surprise.

He looked down when he didn't get a response and saw that Harry had fallen asleep in his arms. Smiling at his friend's adorability, Draco squeezed Harry slightly before gently and slowly laying Harry down on the bed. He took off Harry's shoes and covered him with his blankets. After making sure his friend was comfortable Draco went to get ready for bed himself.

–Scene Break–

It was with no small thanks on many people's parts that the rest of February and most of March passed quietly. When Harry had awoken the next day he had apologized profusely for falling asleep on Draco like he had but Draco had waved it off and declared all forgiven. Hermione had come to forgive him as well and the three of them had begun to grow closer. This would be why all three of them could be found sitting under a tree by the lake on a particularly beautiful and sunny spring day on the last day of March. They were attempting to study and failing miserably as they all continued to talk and laugh and enjoyed the fresh air. Alas the good mood of the day was not destined to last.

"Harry what's wrong?" Hermione asked when she noticed that Harry had suddenly gone very quiet and was staring off into space, something that was rather unusual for Harry.

"Harry?" Draco asked in concern when Harry failed to respond.

"S–someone," Harry stuttered quietly. He was still staring off into space and barely coherent. "Someone trying to get past Fluffy." He managed to say firmly.

"What? Who?" Hermione asked in shock. It had been so long since they had discussed the topic of the Sorcerer's Stone that she had completely forgotten that it was in the castle.

"Teacher." Harry stated simply. It was difficult to talk when most of his attention was absorbed in watching the images that the wards were feeding him. Thankfully though the teacher that had disturbed Fluffy left the room quickly after they had arrived. "Sorry," He said two Draco and Hermione when he finally came fully back to himself. He gently massaged his eyes and the bridge of his nose. "Doing something like that is difficult and takes up like ninety percent of my attention and focus."

"Something like what?" Hermione asked, ever eager for more information.

"Observing things through the wards," Harry started explaining. He paused though when a loud cry reached his ears. He looked up and saw a bird making its way across the sky. Unfortunately it was too far away and was approaching the sun so Harry couldn't tell what type of bird it was so he turned his attention back to his friends. "A while ago I had asked the wards to keep an eye on Fluffy's chamber and inform me of anyone that goes in there. So far the only person to have gone in there was Hagrid to tend to Fluffy."

"You make it sound as if the wards are alive." Hermione said curiously.

"That's because they are." Harry explained with a smile. "They may not have physical bodies but they are very much alive. Although I suppose you could say that the castle is their body."

"Back to Fluffy." Draco cut in before the two could go on about how something that didn't have a flesh and blood body could be alive. "Who was trying to get past them and did they succeed?"

"It was Quirrell and he actually wasn't trying to get past Fluffy." Harry explained seriously. "He was testing a method on how to get past the dog and it worked. I'm guessing the only reason he didn't go now was because he didn't have time or something."

"What was the method?" Draco asked as he packed away his things.

"Music." Harry said following suit. "And I'd bet a hundred galleons that he tricked Hagrid into spilling the secret on how to get past Fluffy."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Hermione commented sadly. "No offense to him, he's a good man and I like him, but he can't keep a secret to save his life."

"Unfortunately not." Harry said as he got up and led them back into the castle. "However this does pose a rather nasty little problem."

"Quirrell knows." Draco said with an understanding nod that Hermione mimicked. "And that means he is the one trying to resurrect the Dark Lord."

"Exactly." Harry said as he opened up a secret passage in a deserted corridor that would lead them down to the Sanctuary. "And we cannot let that happen. No matter the cost the Dark Lord cannot be brought back. We have to get to the stone now while it's still there."

"What about Professor Quirrell though? What if he or one of the other Professors guarding the stone catches us? And how are we supposed get to the stone when we don't even know where it is?" Hermione questioned, ever the voice of reason.

"First of all I can use the wards to at least lead me to the right area since they're being disturbed by the protective measures around the stone." Harry explained as he walked through the door to the sanctuary. He went over to a little cabinet that was sitting next to the fireplace and pulled out his invisibility cloak, now clean of any foreign magic that was not inherently part of the invisibility cloak. "As for keeping the teachers off our backs that's where you come in."

"Me!" Hermione said in shock.

"Yes you." Harry said pulling out a piece of paper and writing a quick note. "You're going to go find the Weasley twins and have them create a little distraction in the Great Hall to keep the teachers busy. They owe me a favor so give them this." He handed her the note.

"Since when are you on such good terms with Weasleys?" Draco asked in annoyance.

"I stumbled upon them setting up a prank once and we managed to come to an agreement." Harry said carefully. "I figured it would be better to have them as an ally than an enemy. They're also far more Slytherin than you'd believe. Only about half of their pranks get recorded as theirs." Draco just raised an eyebrow and refused to comment. "Anyways take them the note and ask them to set up a distraction for the teachers. They're currently up in the library doing research."

"Alright." Hermione said with a nod and rushed off.

Harry and Draco followed her out but took a different tunnel, one that led into the dungeons underneath the third floor. Fluffy was guarding only one entrance to the stone's location. There was a second entrance through the dungeons but it was by far the most difficult to find given the complexity of the dungeons caverns. The third was, of course, through the emergency tunnels and passageways that lead to everywhere in the castle.

Because of this it actually didn't take Harry and Draco very long to find the place they were looking for. The disruption of the stone's protection was like a beacon to the wards that Harry was in charge of and though they couldn't give Harry anything more than a general location they allowed Harry to easily determine where it was on foot.

"Come here." Harry whispered to Draco. Once he was close enough Harry wrapped them both up in the invisibility cloak. He also made sure that the wards were shielding his presence from absolutely everyone. "We'll wait until the twins cause a distraction and then we'll move."

It was a good thing Harry had done this too. Not five minutes after he and Draco had arrived Professor Snape walked into the chamber. The man walked up to the only thing that sat in the whole room; a giant mirror. He stood in front of the mirror for a few moments before drawing his wand and started casting spells as he circled the mirror. Harry figured the man was supposed to be in on guarding the stone since he had caught a few words of the spells and recognized a few simple diagnostic charms. A few moments later he nodded in apparent satisfaction and left the way he came. That's when the twins decided to strike. Pandemonium erupted in the Great Hall and through the wards Harry saw every teacher rush to that location.

"Come on." Harry said whipping of the cloak and rushing into the room. They wouldn't have much time before things settled down.

"The only question remains," Draco said standing next to Harry in front of the mirror. "Is how do we get the stone now that we've found it?"

"Do you see what I see?" Harry whispered in a deathly quiet and shocked voice.

"I see us." Draco said in confusion as he looked at his friend in concern. He had never seen such a look of pain and longing on his friends face before.

"This," Harry said trying to pull his eyes away from the image before him.

He saw something he'd never thought he'd see before. Two people, a woman with his eyes and a man with his hair and glasses, his parents most likely, stood next to him with loving smiles. In the background was what looked to be a party of some sort. He could see himself playing with Draco and Hermione. They were eating and laughing and had not a single care in the world. However his image was off in a big way. The haunted look of pain and agony that he saw daily in the mirror in his eyes before hiding it from the rest of the world was absent and his body looked to be in perfect condition for his age. Harry would've bet money that if the image was shirtless he wouldn't see any scars or a scarily thin chest.

"This isn't a regular mirror." Harry finished tearing his eyes away from the image. "It isn't just something Dumbledore used to hide the stone." Harry continued as he scanned the mirror for any sign of how to retrieve the stone.

"_Read its name backwards and your answer shall be revealed._" Orpheus hissed before Draco could respond as he poked his head out of Harry's collar.

"What'd he say?" Draco asked curiously. It wasn't often that he heard or even saw Orpheus but when he did he couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine. There was some unearthly beauty to hearing a snake speak.

"I show not your face but your heart's desire." Harry said slowly as he looked up and saw the writing scrawled along the top of the ornate mirror.

"He said that?" Draco said in confusion.

"What?" Harry said glancing back at Draco. "No. Orpheus said to read its name backwards." Harry said pointing to the writing.

"Oh," Draco said and took a minute to decipher the words himself. "So this mirror will show us what our hearts desire. Is that what you saw just now? Something you really want?"

"Yes," Harry admitted with a nervous swallow. He didn't really want to think about that right now. "But it wasn't the stone. Right now we need to focus on the stone."

"Ok so if this mirror shows us what we desire," Draco reasoned. "If that's the case then if we focus on the stone it should show us how to get it yes?"

"It would make sense." Harry said reluctantly returning his attention back to the reflective surface of the mirror.

The image of his nonexistent happy life was still there but even as he watched the image vanished to be replaced by one of him standing alone in the room. Suddenly his imaged winked at him and pulled a ruby red stone the size of his fist out of his pocket and showed it to him. It then smirked and then replaced the stone and Harry simultaneously felt a weight drop into his pocket.

"That was a little too easy." Harry said pulling the stone out of his pocket and eyeing it warily.

"You're right." Draco agreed as he looked at the stone in wonder. "Although I'm sure you would've gotten more fanfare if we had used the main entrance."

"True." Harry said as he put the stone into his robe pocket. However he stopped when Orpheus spoke up.

"_The stone is a fake._" He said as he examined the stone from his position on the back of Harry's hand.

"What?" Harry said in such surprise that he hadn't even spoken it in Parseltounge.

"_This stone holds no magic at all. It is a fake._" Orpheus elaborated. "_It is, in fact, made of glass that has been charmed not to break if it falls. However it–_" Orpheus didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as Harry suddenly pulled back his arm and chucked the stone with all his might against the only solid wall in the room. Immediately upon contact the stone shattered into thousands of pieces and made a rather satisfying sound that did nothing but anger Harry even further. "_Will do that._" Orpheus finished rather lamely.

"What did you do that for?" Draco asked in shock as he watched his friend's face grow angrier and angrier.

"It. Was. A. Test." Harry said and it took all of his effort not to shout and start throwing curses everywhere. He hadn't even heard Draco's inquiry. All he could hear was the blood pumping in his ears and the roaring wave of fury that washed through his mind. "All of it was a bloody test. The stone wasn't even real. He set the entire thing up. Hagrid, Gringotts, Fluffy, everything! He put the entire school in danger, for a TEST!" Harry shouted the last word.

He had suspected all along that the man was testing him in some way and for some reason but he had thought that the stone was real and that it was in a very real danger of falling into Voldemort's hands. He had thought that the stone had been moved to Hogwarts in order to protect it, especially since Gringotts had been broken into. But to find out that it was a _fake!_ It wasn't as if Harry wanted the stone for personal gain. He had gold and lord knew he did _not _want to live forever. But to go through everything he had that year because of something that wasn't even worth the stone it broke on was too much. It sent Harry over the edge. He started seeing red. He wanted blood.

He would have had it too if it weren't for the song that suddenly breached his senses. It had an immediate calming effect and Harry's fury began to ebb. Harry looked around and saw that Fawkes had burst into appearance and had landed on his shoulder. He was singing a gentle song of peace. A song that flooded Harry's mind with images of peaceful meadows, calm skies, and his favorite view from the top of the Astronomy tower.

"Are you ok?" Draco asked in concern. He was standing directly in front of Harry with both his hands on Harry's upper arms.

"Yeah," Harry said calmly. He felt suddenly very weak and wanted nothing more than to sit down in a comfortable chair and take a nap. "Yeah let's get out of here. There's nothing to be done here anymore."

With that Harry and Draco left the chamber behind, grabbing his cloak from where they left it on the way out. Fawkes was still perched on Harry's shoulder singing, while occasionally running Harry's hair through his beak, and Draco stuck to Harry's side for support. It didn't take them long to return to the Sanctuary and for Harry to immediately collapse into one of the cushy and comfortable chairs in front of the fireplace. Fawkes moved his perch to the back of Harry's chair and continued to sing. Orpheus slithered out of Harry's pant leg and stretched out on the floor in front of the fireplace. All of this went unnoticed by Harry since he had fallen asleep almost the minute he had hit the chair. Being that furious and having that much adrenalin in your system and then suddenly coming down to a state of calm peace had a tendency to make one extremely tired and weak and Harry was no exception.

–Scene Break–

"That man should not be in charge of this school." Was the first thing Harry heard as he started to wake up. It was said in a low whisper but it was extremely heated and angry. Harry recognized the voice as female and figured that Draco had just informed Hermione of what they had discovered.

"No he shouldn't." Harry agreed as he sat up in his chair. He looked around and saw Orpheus coiled and dozing on the rug in front of the fireplace. Fawkes was on his perch looking at Harry. Seeing that he was awake Fawkes glided to the arm of the chair and chirped at Harry in concern. "I'm ok Fawkes." Harry said stroking the fiery bird along his neck.

"Are you really?" Draco asked in concern from his place next to the table that was in the room.

"Tired and a little hungry but otherwise I'm fine." Harry said with a nod.

"I'm not surprised." Hermione said stepping forward. She had her arms crossed and she looked furious, like she always did when they were discussing something that Dumbledore had done. "You shook the entire castle earlier. Everyone thought it was part of the prank the twins had pulled but both of them looked just as concerned as everyone else, even though they took credit. That's the only reason that made me think it was you."

"Ooops." Harry said in surprise as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess the wards give me more power over than the school than I originally thought. Was anyone hurt?"

"No one was hurt and nothing was damaged." Hermione said with a shake of her head. "The most damage done was fear. It was actually more like the castle vibrated rather than shook. It was really a fake?"

"Yes," Harry with a dark scowl. "Made of glass and had a charm on it to make it look and feel real. Even had a charm on it so it could withstand being dropped."

"But not being hurled against a stone wall." Draco said with a smirk as he recalled the image of the stone shattering against the wall. Even Harry couldn't help but smile slightly at that.

"So what do we do now?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing," Harry said as he got up and stretched. "There's nothing to be done. Either the stone is being protected somewhere else entirely or Flamel still has it. Either way it's out of our hands. The only thing to do is focus on school."-

"Then we should go up for dinner." Draco said solemnly. "It's about to start."

The three of them were quiet and solemn as they left the Sanctuary and made their way to the Great Hall. Harry though was being a little more thoughtful than the other two. After Orpheus settled back into Harry's skin and Fawkes hitched a ride on his shoulder Harry had a thought.

All throughout dinner he was quiet and hardly responded to the conversation floating around him. This didn't come as much of a surprise to Draco, who was sitting quietly himself next to Harry. Even Hermione was far more silent than usual. She looked to be just upset about something and quiet because of it but if you looked closely and long enough you could see her sending rather violent looking glares towards the Head Table. In her defense though the glares were sparse and very subtle.

Suddenly Harry broke into a wide and vicious smile. His whole face looked positively evil and gleeful at the same time. His housemates near him cringed back. They had seen that face only once and they knew to fear it. It had been seen right after Halloween and just before one Ronald Weasley ended up in the Hospital Wing with a green face and his hair standing on end glowing, making it look like his head was on fire. His voice was also cursed so that the only thing he could say was, "I'm an ass!" really loud whenever he opened his mouth, whether it was to speak or not. Harry had studied for several hours straight to pull off that prank and it had taken two days to set up. Not one single person in the school actually knew or had any proof of who had done that prank, not even Weasley. Only the Slytherins suspected Harry and they hadn't said anything. They had no idea who had pissed Harry off this time but they all knew to stay out of the boy's path so they didn't get caught in the crossfire.

Harry put a hand on Draco's shoulder and started whispering very quietly in his ear. Slowly Draco's face morphed into one of shock and surprise. Then it turned into one of anger. And lastly it turned into a gleefully vicious look that was very similar to the one on Harry's face. Several of the students nearby promptly gulped in fear. They knew they could survive Harry's war path so long as they stayed out of his way but if he teamed up with Draco Malfoy, a very rich and powerful child, then they had better not be anywhere in sight when the fuse was lit.

Several students started passing the word down the table in quiet whispers. They all froze when Draco made to get up but Harry stopped him and continued to whisper in his ear and the students started quietly conversing again. When dinner was over the Slytherin students were back in their dormitories they all scattered, calmly of course. Harry and Draco made their way up to their dorm rooms, with not a single boy of their year following them. Everyone else scattered to their own dorms or picked a dark and isolated corner to hide in.

–Scene Break–

To the immense surprise of the house of Slytherin the months of April and May passed in relative peace. Harry, Draco, and Hermione could be seen together studying together or simply hanging out. They appeared to be completely content and happy. There wasn't any sign that they were plotting anything at all. But the Slytherin students knew better and they stood back, watched, and waited.

It was now June and students were just starting to worry about their end of year finals. All but three that is. Harry, Hermione, and Draco were currently sitting in the library quietly discussing their plans and studying at the same time. They had everything ready and planned to move tonight. Their diversions were in place.

"I wonder if he thinks he's cleaver." Harry said quietly as he flipped a page in his book and never looking up. "I haven't even needed the wards to tell me he's there."

"Who?" Hermione asked as she froze slightly. She didn't know who Harry was talking about and he didn't want to alert whoever it was that they knew.

"Weasley." Harry explained. "He's been following me around ever since I laid into him in February. He's currently hiding out among the stacks pretending to be looking for something but he's actually keeping an eye on me."

"Do you think Dumbledore put him up to it?" Draco asked as he calmly wrote something down in his notes for an exam he had later that day.

"Not likely," Harry said with a shake of his head and keeping his voice low. "He has other methods to keep tabs on me. No, I'm guessing that Weasley is doing this of his own volition for some reason. The odd part is that he's only spying on me. He doesn't follow you guys when we're apart. He only follows me."

"That is odd." Hermione said as she verified something in her notes with the text she had in front of her. "Do you think he knows anything about… _it_?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders at this. "It's highly doubtful that he does. I always keep the wards up to guard our conversations whenever we're together outside of class. Considering his obsession with Fluffy in February it wouldn't surprise me that the nit wit is trying to figure out the mystery of the stone on his own and is trying to spy on us in order to figure out what we know. Or something along those lines anyways. It is extremely unlikely that he knows anything about what we're planning though."

"Hmmm," Was the only response Harry got back from both his friends as they thought through the new bit of information they had received.

"So we're moving tonight?" Hermione asked several minutes later as they started packing their bags to leave for their next exam.

"Yes," Harry answered as he stood up. "It's the best time to do so before the school year ends. We'll meet in The Sanctuary at a quarter to eleven. Do you remember where the passage is in the Ravenclaw dormitories Hermione?"

"Fifth brick on the left from the doorway leading to the girls dorms," Hermione answered with a nod as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

"Good." Harry said with a smile.

"Let's go have some fun." Draco said with a nasty smile.

–Scene Break–

Harry and Draco slipped silently through the Slytherin common room under the invisibility cloak. Most of the students had gone to bed so as to be rested for the next day of exams but there were a few students still up doing last minute studying. Thankfully though they were too absorbed in their studying to notice the random section of stone wall quietly slip open and then shut. Ten minutes later, five minutes before 10:45, Harry and Draco entered The Sanctuary.

"_You are most worthy of your house Harry,_" Orpheus hissed a few minutes into their wait for Hermione. "_Long has it been since I have seen a plan this complex and sneaky. You may be the heir of all four founders but truly the blood of Salazar is strong within you._"

"_Thanks_." Harry said with a deep red blush spreading across his face.

"What did he say?" Draco asked with a smirk as he noticed the blush on Harry's face.

"He was complimenting me on the plan's sneakiness." Harry explained just as Hermione entered the room at exactly 10:45.

"Do we have everything?" She asked as she adjusted her pitch black robes and tied her hair back into a tight pony tail.

"Yes," Harry said with a nod. "The potion is finished and ready," He indicated the slightly simmering cauldron at the back of the room that was filled with a golden red liquid. "We have our distractions," He gestured at the bag on Draco's shoulder. "And we have the replacement." He patted his robe pocket. "Now since I'll have the invisibility cloak I'll be using the wards to shield your guys' presence from both eyes and the other wards. The two of you should be the only people able to see the other but none the less stick to the shadows as much as possible and use the secret passages to get around as often as you can. Do you both know where you're going?"

"We start near Gryffindor tower on the other side of the castle," Hermione answered with what was obviously a rehearsed line.

"And slowly work our way across the castle and placing each device at a strategic location." Draco finished.

"Right," Harry said with a nod. "Each distraction is charmed to go off at a different time so be quick and don't get caught. Do you have your ear plugs?"

"Yup," Hermione answered and Draco nodded. Hermione had to owl her parents with a request for two pairs of muggle ear plugs for this plan claiming they were for an extra credit project for one of her classes, which of course she promptly did. Was it her fault that she had other intentions for them as well? Draco had found the squishy little devices fascinating when he was introduced to them.

"Alright then let's go." Harry said clapping his hands.

The three of them left The Sanctuary together but Harry was soon alone as his friends went down a side tunnel together to tend to their appointed tasks. Draco and Hermione were the diversion, Harry was infiltrator. He quickly climbed a long staircase before coming to a stop at the top in front of the secret entrance. He crouched down and waited while monitoring his friends through the wards.

It was during this time that Harry admitted, under extreme protest and with great reluctance, that he was very, very, very, ever so slightly grateful towards being stuffed in a cupboard 24/7 for the past ten years. It made for great practice for hiding in small dark spaces. Not that he'd ever forgive them for what they did and he of course he still wanted to see their rotting corpses burning in the depths of hell for what they did to him. But still, at least he had gotten something useful out of the deal.

Harry noticed Hermione placing the first distraction, a small brass tube, and he placed his own transfigured earplugs in his ears. They wouldn't work as well as the original muggle ones but that was alright. He needed to be able to hear somewhat while he was in there. Suddenly an unbelievably high pitched sound started echoing throughout the castle walls. Each distraction was charmed to sound different but they had all agreed to make the first one sound like a car alarm that way it would wake up the entire castle and get everyone's attention.

Harry smirked at the reaction the noise had garnered out of Dumbledore. It was just the reaction Harry had been hoping for too. The man had jerked so violently that he spilt the potion he was working on all over the floor and completely ruined it. The man swore rather colorfully before banishing the mess and righting his cauldron. He then placed a very familiar object into the top right drawer of his office desk before rushing out of his office to investigate. That was when the second and third distractions went off simultaneously. The second one sounded like a thousand hyenas laughing all at once and the third sounded like twenty nails on chalkboards. It was because of that one that Harry was grateful for the earplugs. But that was it. They had planned on only three distractions since it wouldn't take much to get all the teachers out of their rooms to search the castle

Seizing his opportunity Harry donned his invisibility cloak and pushed opened the secret doorway and entered the Headmaster's office. This was the only reason why he had been the one to use the cloak. Harry knew that the wards could shield him against being physically seen as well as being viewed through the wards or other magical methods but he was uncertain about the portraits of the former Headmasters and Headmistresses that hung throughout the office. He didn't want to chance being seen by any of them and have one of them snitch on him to Dumbledore.

Unfortunately the distractions had woken up the portraits as well so Harry had to be extra careful not to catch the cloak on anything. It was quite repulsing to see the office of the head of a prestigious school be cluttered with so much junk that it was nearly impossible to move around without bumping something. Fortunately though he managed to make his way to the Headmaster's desk and, after a quick scan for any traps, opened the top right drawer.

"Arrogance shall be the death of us all." Harry whispered as he pulled out a ruby red stone the size of his fist. He didn't even need Orpheus to tell him that this was the real Sorcerer's Stone. He could feel the subtle yet mighty magic pulsating from the stone. It was also fairly heavier than the one that had been made of glass.

_Wise words from one so young._ Orpheus said within Harry's mind as Harry placed his own fake stone back into Dumbledore's desk. _Rowena would be proud as well I see, as would Godric and Helga. Something like this takes great courage and Helga would approve of doing something to defend your friends as well as this school. They did indeed choose their heir well._

With each of Orpheus' words Harry's face grew hotter and hotter in embarrassment. Not once in his life had anyone ever complimented him on anything and now he had received not one but _two_ in the same night and he didn't know what to say. He just left the office as quickly as he could, sealing his entrance behind him, and made his way back to The Sanctuary.

–Scene Break–

"Did you get it?" Hermione asked eagerly when Harry entered The Sanctuary. Harry was happy to see that both she and Draco had succeeded in their tasks and hadn't gotten caught.

"Yes," Harry said pulling out the Sorcerer's Stone and putting it on the table. "And just as I suspected he would be he was brewing the elixir with it when the first distraction went off. His reaction was priceless too."

"Did it make him spill the potion?" Draco asked with vicious smile on his face.

"All over the floor with not a single drop left in the cauldron." Harry answered. "He'll most likely start it again once he gets back to his office.

"Oh I can't wait to see him tomorrow." Hermione said gleefully. Harry and Draco laughed but they too couldn't wait for tomorrow. They couldn't directly oppose Dumbledore but that didn't mean they couldn't get their revenge in other ways and it was with big smiles that they all went back to bed to get some sleep.

Unfortunately for Harry he didn't get to go to sleep when the others did. Harry had told Draco to go on back to bed while he put the stone in The Chamber of Secrets where it would be safe since he was the only one capable of entering there. Even Voldemort, who was a Parselmouth, couldn't enter there since the wards guarding the chamber were tied to him and barred anyone and anything else that he didn't personally let in.

He had just placed the stone in Salazar's study, or his study he supposed considering it belonged to him now, when the wards informed him of two people entering the third floor corridor and down the trap door guarded by Fluffy. One was a cloaked figure wearing a turban, Quirrell was obviously moving to take the stone and didn't know it was no longer there. Harry doubt that anyone did since he hadn't disturbed any of the wards or protections surrounding the chunk of glass. As for the second person it was one idiotic Weasley for some insane reason. He went down the trap door some fifteen minutes after Quirrell did.

"Idiot." Harry all but growled as he left the chamber and headed to intercept Quirrell.

There may have been several probably dangerous traps guarding the stone but since Quirrell was working for Voldemort he was the bigger threat. Harry was positive that the traps wouldn't do too much damage to Weasley since they were supposed to be a test for Harry. So he went for Quirrell to keep him from coming across Weasley and permanently harming him. Harry may dislike the boy but he didn't want the stupid child to get hurt or killed by a lunatic.

"_Are you awake Orpheus_?" Harry asked as he rushed through the corridors that honeycombed the earth beneath the castle.

"_Always,_" Orpheus said with a yawn.

"_Good._" Harry said coming to a stop behind the door that would open up into the chamber with the Mirror of Erised. "_'Cause I'm sure I'll be needing your help very soon._" With that Harry opened the door and walked into the large chamber.

It was empty aside from the mirror so Harry hid in the shadows behind a pillar and waited for Quirrell to show up. He didn't have to wait very long. It wasn't but five minutes after Harry entered the chamber that Quirrell came walking down the large staircase that lead up to what was most likely the first floor of the castle and the useless traps.

For several long minutes the man circled the mirror in examination but he soon came to a stop in front of the mirror and stared at whatever image he saw there. Harry stood in the shadows off to the side and waited for a few minutes to see if the man would simply leave, in which case Harry would stop him, but Quirrell just stood there staring at the mirror.

"How do I get it!" Quirrell suddenly shouted in frustration.

"You can't," Harry said stepping out of the shadows. Quirrell obviously wasn't about to leave and Weasley hadn't shown up either which meant that the fool had fallen prey to one of the traps.

"Potter!" Quirrell snapped in surprise as he whirled around to face Harry. "How did you get down here?"

"Irrelevant." Harry said snapping up his Occlumency shields tight and strong when he felt the man trying to make his way into his mind. "The point is that you cannot retrieve the stone from that mirror. Care to know why?"

"You're very cleaver for a child." Quirrell said narrowing his eyes in annoyance. "Not many your age could master that skill so young without several years of long and hard practice. Tell me how did you manage it?" Harry just crossed his arms and stared at Quirrell and refused to answer. "Alright, I'll bite. Why can't I retrieve the stone from the mirror?"

"Because it's not there." Harry said in all honesty. "You wouldn't want it anyways, considering it was fake and all."

"What do you mean 'was'?" Quirrell asked having not missed the past tense Harry had used. He had narrowed his eyes even further when Harry had said that and Harry began to wonder how the man could still see.

"Oh you see that little pile of glass over there," Harry said pointing to the shattered remains of the fake stone still rested. Clearly no one had been down here since March. That or no one had noticed it. "That's what remains of the precious stone everyone's been so worried about. It was a fake and made entirely out of glass so it would have been completely useless to you."

"If it was not only a fake but also destroyed and you are aware of this," Quirrell said clearly trying to control his temper. "Then why are you here confronting me?"

"That would be for me to know you… not to." Harry said with a cheeky grin.

"He knows where it is." A ragged and bodiless voice suddenly sounded through the hall. "Let me speak."

"But–" Quirrell never got to finish his sentence as he cringed in pain. He quickly began to unwrap his turban to reveal another, rather hideous, face protruding from the back of his skull.

"Harry Potter." The face, Voldemort by Harry's reasoning, said. Voldemort's red eyes bored into Harry's eyes through the mirror as his nose less nostrils flared. Harry felt another probe, this one stronger than the last, and he firmed his shields even more. "Strange. You do not seem surprised to see me or my appearance. Tell me. Why?"

"No reason to be surprised." Harry explained with a shrug. "It made sense that you'd be a shade of some sort and I knew Quirrell was after the stone for you. Although I must admit that I didn't expect to see you in quite such a… revolting manner."

"Hehe," Voldemort laughed cynically. "Indeed. I have become but a parasite, forced to survive off of others. You could help me with that though. All you'd have to do is give me the stone and I would repay you with beyond your wildest dreams. Anything you could ever want would be yours."

"What makes you think I know where the stone is?" Harry said with a raised eyebrow.

"You may be able to shield your mind boy," Voldemort laughed. "But I do not need Legilimency to be able to tell that you know where it is. It is obvious. If you found the fake one here then you undoubtedly discovered the real one."

"Hardly," Harry said with an annoyed off and looking the perfect image of someone who had been stumped by something and was extremely frustrated by it. "I've looked everywhere else in this castle and haven't found a single trace of it."

"You shouldn't lie Harry," Voldemort rebuked with narrowed eyes. "It can have… consequences."

"Telling the truth has consequences." Harry said with a dark look on his face. "Lying allows you to avoid those consequences. You only run into problems if you get caught lying." He said this with Dumbledore in mind. The man was a world class liar and deceiver and Harry had repeatedly felt the sting of his lies and deception. Harry was starting to get impatient. Weasley had still yet to show up which meant the boy was in serious trouble.

_He's getting impatient with you._ Orpheus warned within Harry's mind. _Be on guard. He will likely attack you soon._ Harry's only response was a quick blast of gratitude and the loosening of his muscles. Harry had learned very early on that tensing only made things worse and often slowed your reactions.

"Where is the stone?" Voldemort demanded, ignoring Harry's words.

"You honestly expect me to tell you?" Harry said with look of annoyance on his face. "Honestly I expected more intelligence from the supposed darkest wizard of all time." Harry knew his words would enrage Voldemort greatly and that was his intention. Time was running short and he couldn't waste any more of it on useless banter, especially if Weasley was dying.

"Fool!" Voldemort yelled. "You WILL give me the stone! Seize him!"

Quirrell suddenly flew at Harry. Ten years of having a fat elephant of a man lunging at him had made Harry's reflexes very sharp and very quick and he managed to dodge the man's initial lunge. However Quirrell proved quicker. He twisted midflight and wrapped his hand around Harry's throat as he landed.

_Move to my arm! _Harry ordered Orpheus, who immediately started moving.

"If you value you your life Potter you will tell me where the stone is." Quirrell growled.

"Go… to… hell." Harry chocked out.

He lifted his arm and Orpheus went flying out of his sleeve. Not expecting such an attack Quirrell reeled back in surprise but he wasn't quick enough and Orpheus sunk his fangs deep into Quirrell's neck. With his head attached to Quirrell's neck Orpheus wrapped the rest of his body around Quirrell and began to squeeze. Harry, still recovering from being choked like that, barely noticed what was going on. He did however look at Quirrell when the man, as well as Voldemort, began to scream in agony. Harry couldn't blame him either. He looked like he was going through an accelerated dehydration process. His skin had shriveled and was starting to resemble crumbling stone and his eyeballs had already turned to dust along with his tongue, nose, and ears. Of course being squeezed by a ten foot thousand year old basilisk probably contributed to the man's agony as well.

It seemed to take forever but eventually Quirrell and Voldemort stopped screaming and due to the pressure Orpheus was applying his body turned to dust and the snake fell to the ground covered in white powder. Orpheus made to slither towards Harry but he took a step back and held up his hands.

"_You are so not touching me until you take a bath._" Harry said with a cringe. The dust may look innocent enough but he had seen what it originally was and it positively disgusted him. "_No offense and all but that's just nasty._"

"_And how do you expect to hide me if someone comes along while we are trekking through the castle?_" Orpheus asked in all seriousness but Harry could feel some slight amusement coming from the snake at Harry's antics.

"_The threat is over for the time being. You can go wash up and meet up with me._" Harry reasoned.

"_And the traps that litter the way to the boy who needs help?_" Orpheus asked though he appeared to be caving.

"_Irrelevant really. They're designed to keep people from getting in not going out._" Harry answered logically.

"_Very well I shall go wash. But be careful. I shall meet you in the hospital wing since that is likely your destination._" Orpheus said before he slithered off through the secret passage that would take him through the castle without being detected so he could bathe.

Harry gave a slight shudder before turning in the direction of where Weasley would be. Harry had been right in his assumptions that the traps would not pose a problem on his way out of the chamber with the Mirror of Erised. In fact the only one that had given him issue was the one right after the dead trolls. It was obviously Snape's protection for the stone as it involved several potions, a few poisons, and some mead. It had only taken him a few moments to decipher and solve the riddle though and soon he was standing under a massive plant that he recognized as Devil's Snare.

"No wonder you failed here," Harry said looking down at the unconscious redhead on the floor. "You never pay attention in your classes do you?"

Harry went up to Weasley to check to see if the boy was still alive. Fortunately he was still breathing. The Devil's Snare must have released him the minute he went limp and the jolt from the fall must've been enough to get him breathing again but not enough to bring him back to consciousness.

"Idiot." Harry said as he cast a levitation charm on the boy before he grabbed hold of his collar and dragged him up the stairs that lead to out of the room, thankfully outside of the room that held Fluffy. Harry was not in a mood to deal with a snarling three headed dog.

Making his way out of the third floor corridor Harry made his way up to the Hospital Wing, picking up a nice and clean Orpheus along the way. Harry entered the Hospital Wing and made his way to one of the beds and released the levitation charm holding Weasley up in the air. However the boy had been a little high and he ended up flopping rather ungracefully onto the bed.

"Mr. Potter?" Madame Pomfrey said as she bustled into the room. "What is the meaning of this? What is going on?"

Harry bit back a snort at her redundancy and answered. "The fool attempted to get past that beast on the third floor. Somehow he managed to put the dog to sleep and got down the trap door but was taken down by Devil's Snare that was, for some reason, residing below the trap door."

"Curious. What were you doing in that area so late at night Harry?" Another voice asked since Madame Pomfrey had gotten absorbed in casting her spells. Harry turned to see Dumbledore striding towards him.

Harry had to bite his tongue to suppress the laughter that attempted to escape his body at the sight the Headmaster presented. The fake stone Harry had replaced the real one with had been magically connected to the cauldron down in The Sanctuary so that whenever Dumbledore used the stone, thinking he was making the Elixir of Life, he would actually be getting the potion that Harry and Draco had made. Harry had wondered how the potion would present itself since it had no set effects but this was something he had not expected. The potion was designed to change the drinker's appearance to something ridiculous and funny and kept the drinker ignorant of the changes.

Obviously Dumbledore had made and drunk the potion immediately upon returning to his office after the little incident Harry, Draco, and Hermione had caused to get him out of his office and was paying the price for it. His white beard and hair had turned bright neon pink and his skin had turned a disgusting shade of puke green. Even his eyes had turned a fiery orange. His robes had tuned pitch black and had the words 'I'm an arrogant bastard' written all over it.

"I…" Harry tried to answer but that proved to be his undoing. He cracked up laughing. He started laughing so hard that he ended up falling to the floor and holding his sides.

"Harry this is no laughing matter." Dumbledore said sternly. That was when Harry realized that the man's voice had changed as well. It had become very high and squeaky and it only served to make Harry laugh all the harder and he reveled in the fact that the man would never realize it for himself.

"Headmaster! What on earth happened to you?" Madame Pomfrey said in shock when she looked up from Weasley.

"What are you talking about Madame Pomfrey? Nothing has happened to me." Dumbledore said in confusion and Harry just laughed harder. Tears were beginning to run down his face and his sides were starting to ache from laughing so much. "Harry I must insist that you cease your laughing and tell us what you were doing in that area so late at night."

"I," Harry said trying to control his hysteria. "Couldn't sleep." Slowly Harry managed to reign in his laughter so he could speak. "Went for walk."

"I'm afraid I'll need more information than that Harry." Dumbledore said sternly.

"Headmaster have you not seen yourself in a mirror?" Pomfrey asked before Harry could answer. He was still laughing but he was gaining control of himself and was only laughing in short bursts. "And do you mean to say that you cannot hear your own voice?" The mediwitch had far more self control than Harry did but even she was trying not to laugh.

"Madame Pomfrey I assure you that I am perfectly fine." Dumbledore assured with a quick glance at Pomfrey. "Now Harry. I insist you tell us what you were doing in a restricted area so late at night."

"I told you I couldn't sleep." Harry responded as he got up off the floor. "The noise from earlier woke me up and I couldn't go back to sleep so I went for a walk. I was on the second floor in the grand staircase when I heard someone screaming for help from the third floor. Since there was no one around I went to investigate. I found that three headed dog sound asleep and a trap door open at its feet. By then the screams had fallen silent. I looked down the trap door and saw that idiot," Harry waved a hand at Weasley. "Had somehow managed to subdue Fluffy but had gotten himself tangled in some Devil's Snare. I freed him and took him here given he was unconscious."

"Mr. Weasley's injuries are consistent with Mr. Potter's story Headmaster." Madame Pomfrey informed Dumbledore. "I told you harboring that plant would be dangerous to the students." She paused briefly before adding, "You really haven't noticed anything different about yourself?"

"I told you Poppy I'm fine." Dumbledore said dismissively. "Harry, I'm happy to hear that you showed such bravery and saved another student. I am surprised though that you did so when it was a student that you dislike."

"Do you truly think so little of me Headmaster?" Harry said darkly with narrowed eyes that held none of their previous mirth. "Do you really think that I would let an innocent child die simply because I don't like them? You must really hate Slytherins to think me capable of such a thing."

With that Harry stalked out of the Hospital Wing with a scowl on his face. The scowl abated slightly when Orpheus flexed his coils along his shoulders slightly to help relieve the tension.

"_Thank you my friend._" Harry said quietly before yawning widely. "_I think it is time for bed._"

"_Given that it is two in the morning I'd have to agree with you._" Orpheus said.

Making sure that no one was around Harry entered the secret passageway a few halls down from the Infirmary and went straight down to the Slytherin dormitories and went to bed.

–Scene Break–

"What would you have me do?" Harry asked with his hands up in question. "I know you hate the Weasley's Draco, and frankly I'm pretty much right there with you when it comes to that dumbass, but I wasn't about to let an innocent child die because he has no common sense in his head. Not when I could have done something to help."

"God you're stubborn sometimes." Draco said as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "It's not that you went after Weasley it's that you went after Quirrell! He had the Dark Lord on the back of his head for God's sake. We knew he was working for You-know-who, why did you go after him instead of just getting Weasley and getting out of their?"

"Because the only way into that area through the passages was straight into mirror chamber," Harry explained. "I would've run right into him if I had rushed straight for the boy and I didn't want that since it would have revealed one of two things: That I likely had the stone or there was another way down there that bypassed all the traps. And I didn't want to go running after Weasley once Quirrell's back was turned because that would have put an extremely dangerous enemy at my back that could have attacked me at any moment while my own back was turned and my attention focused elsewhere. Aside from that the only reason I went there and confronted Quirrell was because I had Orpheus with me and I knew he would be able to protect me." Embarrassed pleasure came across his bond with Orpheus and Harry was slightly surprised. He didn't think he could make a thousand year old snake blush, if snakes could blush of course.

Draco sighed in both frustration and defeat. "I just wish you hadn't needed to go down there in the first place that's all." He went forward and wrapped Harry in a hug.

"Me too but there's nothing to be done about it now." Harry said as he practically melted into Draco's arms. He was beginning to enjoy this hugging thing.

–Scene Break–

"Thank you Hagrid," Harry said with tears in his eyes as he stood on the train platform. School had ended and everyone was headed home for summer holidays. Surprisingly Slytherin had won the house cup but Harry suspected that it had something to do with Dumbledore trying to show Harry that he didn't favor any single house. "I honestly cannot thank you enough for this."

" 'Tis nothin' Harry." Hagrid said as he patted Harry on the back when he had been hugged. "I just thought you would have liked to have something to try and get to know yer parents."

"Still. This means a lot to me Hagrid." Harry said as he pulled away clutching the photo album of his parents that Hagrid had just given him. "Thank you."

"Yer welcome, yer welcome. No off with ya before ye miss the train." Hagrid said with a smile and ushered Harry towards the train.

Harry waved good bye out the window as the train pulled out of the station before following his friends to find an empty compartment. It took them a few minutes but they soon found one in the center of the train. After they put their trunks up in the racks they each settled down to do their own things. Hermione of course was reading a text. Draco was reading a potions magazine and Harry was flipping through his new photo album while idly playing with his necklace and occasionally conversing with Orpheus. Fawkes had stayed behind at the castle since there wouldn't really be a place for him to perch in the compartment. Not to mention certain other facts.

"Feels strange to be going home doesn't it?" Hermione said when they were about three quarters of the way through the train ride.

"Little bit." Draco agreed with a shrug after a moment's thought. "We'll be heading back in two months though so it isn't that weird."

"Hogwarts is my home," Harry said with a shrug and not taking his eyes off of the photos in front of him.

"I still can't believe you're being forced to go back to those wretched people." Hermione said with a dark scowl as she crossed her arms. "I still say you should tell someone about them."

"I'm not going back there and Dumbledore would stop anyone from doing anything about it so there's no point." Harry said as he smiled at a picture of him as a baby being held by his parents. His fingers had moved from fiddling with the chain to running over the pendant that hung on it. "However I have been thinking about how to keep him from hushing it up if I do go to someone but we'll see how things play out."

"What do you mean you're not going back there?" Draco asked with a suspicious look at Harry. "I may not want you to go back to those people but where else can you go?"

Harry looked out the window and saw that they had pulled into Platform 9 ¾ . He got up and pulled his trunk off the rack and made to leave the compartment with a, "Come on," to the others. He could feel their slight agitation at being brushed off but it was overshadowed by their curiosity at his actions. They quickly grabbed their things and chased after him.

"Harry!" Hermione said when they finally caught up to him in a corner that was out of the way and slightly hidden. "What's going on? What aren't you telling us?"

Harry surveyed the crowed intently before he answered and he was not surprised at what he had found. There were at least three adults, childless adults that were walking around through the crowed platform. Each one had sent at least a dozen glances his way and Harry knew that they were ordered by Dumbledore to keep an eye on him. Harry pulled his friends and his trunk deeper into the shadows of the little corner they were in.

"Stand right like that," Harry said positioning Draco and Hermione in front of him so they acted as a shield. He quickly pulled out his invisibility cloak and threw it on. Before either of them could say anything he quickly wrapped them both in a hug and whispered, "I'm going home. Enjoy your summers and I will see you guys at the start of term. Write me a lot." He then grabbed his trunk and in a flash of green light it vanished.

"Harry?" Hermione whispered hesitantly. She put her hand out in front of her to try and feel Harry out but she stopped when Draco started laughing next to her. "What?"

"He went home Hermione." Draco laughed as he grabbed his trunk and started walking towards the main body of the platform to find his parents.

"But," Hermione started to say but stopped herself as realization dawned on her face and she too started laughing. She bid Draco good bye and crossed the barrier to King's Cross station to meet her parents.

–Scene Break–

"Hey Hedwig," Harry said as he stroked the snowy white owl on the chest and fed her some owl treats.

He turned and gave a few oranges to Fawkes, who had been busy preening his feathers. After giving both birds some much needed attention that neither had gotten much of over the school year, Harry sat down in a chair by the fire place in Salazar's study and began reading a book Salazar had collected about Occlumency with a content smile on his face.

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><p><strong>AN:** Okay so this is the end of this story but don't worry! Like I said in the beginning it's the start of a series I'm working on and I'm already working on the next installment. Also I apologize that this story was so short but I figured that since the chapters were so long that it was a fair compensation. With luck though the next story will be longer than this one. Anyways keep a look out for the next story. It'll pick up right where this one left off. I hope you enjoyed this story. Please review and let me know what you think! :-)


	5. Chapter 5: June

**Disclaimer: **The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me.

**A/N: **Okay everyone here's the first chapter to the sequel of The Heir. I hope you all enjoy it! Please review and let me know what you think! :-)

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><p>CHAPTER ONE: JUNE<p>

Harry sat comfortably in a leather lounge chair reading by the fire. It had been four days since school had let out for the summer and Harry was enjoying the time to himself. Never in a million years would he have such luxuries at the Dursley's. He had free access to the kitchens where the house elves bent over backwards to provide him with enough food to feed a baby elephant. As it turned out the incorrigible little creatures were completely loyal only to him since he was the heir to the founders and had profusely vowed that they would tell no one that he was staying at the castle.

As he was reading Harry started nodding off. He had almost completely fallen asleep when pain lanced through his chest and back. He sat up with a cry and grabbed at his chest. His cry had startled his avian friends. Hedwig hooted in concern and surprise while Fawkes flew over to Harry's chair and perched on the back. He lowered his beak to Harry's ear and began to croon a gentle and soothing song. Slowly the pain began to fade away and Harry lay in the chair breathing heavily.

"_Are you ok_?" Orpheus asked as he slithered up the chair and into Harry's lap. He had been basking in the heat from the fire when Harry had cried out in pain.

"_I don't know._" Harry said honestly. "_That's never happened before._" Harry lifted his shirt to examine his chest and was shocked at what he found. A large purple bruise stretched across his thin chest and wrapped around his back. Even as he looked at it Fawkes bent down and shed tears over the bruise.

"Thank you my friend." Harry said as he breathed a sigh of relief as the last of the lingering pain in his chest and back faded away. He tensed again though when Fawkes chirped at him urgently and flooded his mind with images gauze wrappings. "A bandage, not a fix," Harry said in understanding and Fawkes chirped in confirmation. "And that means that I can expect further problems."

"_You need a healer_." Orpheus said as he gently poked Harry's chest with his nose. He stuck his tongue out in a raspberry along Harry's skin, his way of smelling something, but it caused Harry to giggle as it tickled him. "_I sense that you have a great deal of untreated internal damage. The worst of which is a major artery near your heart. It tore and caused internal bleeding which is what caused the bruise._"

"Great," Harry said sardonically. He moved to get up so he could write a letter to Draco, since he was the most likely person capable of helping him without outing his presence to Dumbledore, but pain lanced though his through his chest again and he collapsed back into his chair. "Ok so no movement." Harry said through the pain. Fawkes went to shed more tears but Harry stalled him so he could pull off his shirt to get it out of the way and then let him continue.

"_Orpheus,_" Harry said as he controlled his breathing and tried to keep his heart rate low. "_Professor Snape is in his labs. He is the only other person I can think of that might not expose us. Please go get him._" Orpheus didn't bother with a response. He simply slithered off.

"Well at least I got a few days of peace and quiet." Harry sighed and stroked Fawkes' feathers as the phoenix crooned gently and ran Harry's hair through his beak.

–Scene Break–

Severus was enjoying himself as he experimented with the vial of basilisk venom he had gotten from Harry. It was amazing how many properties it had. From just a few days of experimenting Severus had come to realize that the venom was not just highly poisonous but it was magical as well, just like the snake. The venom could do whatever the snake who ejected it wished. It could do something as simple as kill a person immediately or it could take hours, days, or even weeks to kill. It could also kill in different ways. It could induce anaphylactic shock that was untreatable, it could dehydrate a person to the point where they would turn to dust, or it could become an acid and completely dissolve a human body within hours.

Severus felt his wards go off indicating someone had entered his quarters. He sighed in annoyance before putting his current potion into stasis and leaving his lab. He was just grateful that whoever had decided to disturb him had come at a time where his experimental potion could be put into such a state without ruining it. However Severus' annoyance grew when he didn't see anyone in his quarters and the door firmly shut and locked.

"Odd," Severus said aloud to himself. He froze though when he got a hiss in response. He looked around on the floor and noticed a snake slithering towards him. Severus was about to strike before he recognized the snake. "Orpheus? I thought you'd be with Harry, what're you doing here?" The minute the question left his mouth he damn near smacked himself for his stupidity. Harry wasn't here to translate whatever Orpheus would say so there no point in asking the snake any questions.

Orpheus slithered up to Severus and curled around his leg. For a moment Severus panicked and thought that this was a different snake that meant to kill him but then he realized that Orpheus was attempting to pull him.

"You wish me to follow you?" Severus asked and Orpheus bobbed his head down and then up before turning away and slithering towards the door he came through, which was not the main entrance. It was a secret door that Severus had never seen before and that bugged him since he had searched his offices and quarters for any sort of secret passages before and come up with nothing. However given what he now knew about the emergency secret passages that littered the entire castle he wasn't entirely surprised that he had failed.

Severus walked through the halls of the secret passages as he followed Orpheus to where ever the snake wished to take him. He became extremely surprised to learn that Orpheus was leading him to The Chamber of Secrets. Severus had only been there once and he hadn't been able to do a whole lot of poking around since he had been in relative shock at the time, not to mention you needed to be a Parselmouth in order to have access to the place.

As he followed Orpheus down one of the tunnels off of the main chamber he turned his head this way and that as he gawked at the various artifacts or paintings that popped up here and there. He came up short though when Orpheus led him through a doorway. There on a lounge chair next to the fire was a shirtless Harry. Orpheus slithered up to rest in his lap and started hissing. Harry opened his eyes and looked directly at Severus.

"Professor," Harry said in greeting. He coughed and Severus noticed blood on the boy's hand when he pulled it away from his mouth. He also noticed a bruise forming along the boy's chest but Fawkes immediately started shedding tears over it. "Forgive me for interrupting your potions but I find myself in need of a healer. You were the only one I could think of to help me."

"I will fetch Madame Pomfrey," Severus said and turned to make his way to the Hospital Wing. Thankfully the mediwitch resided at Hogwarts full time aside from the occasional trip every now and then but he knew she was there today.

"No!" Harry said urgently to stop the man. "She'll expose me to Dumbledore and he'll send me back to the Dursley's."

Severus had stiffened slightly at the mention of Harry's muggle relatives, he had yet to find out that they were completely unrelated, and he wondered if they had done this recent damage to Harry. He couldn't quite figure out how Harry had managed to get back to Hogwarts so quickly and without anyone noticing. Last he heard from Dumbledore Harry had safely made it back into the muggle world.

"Harry," Severus said in an uncharacteristically kind manner. "I assure you that Madame Pomfrey will do no such thing. She is not as besotted with the Headmaster as she appears. Trust me."

Harry hesitated for a few moments as he went through another coughing fit. "Very well," Harry held out his hand and a small ball of green light coalesced there before floating out the doorway and pausing to wait just outside for Severus. "The wards will lead you through the passages and straight to the Hospital Wing and back."

Severus nodded before chasing after the ball of light at a fast pace. Severus was continually amazed at the complexity of the emergency tunnels and just how fast they had led him to the Infirmary. Within roughly ten minutes of leaving The Chamber of Secrets Severus was walking out of a doorway and straight onto the ward where Madame Pomfrey was refilling the potions cabinet that was at the front of the ward.

"Severus!" Pomfrey said in shock when she heard Severus walking up behind her. "How did you get in here?" The only supposed entrance to the Hospital Wing was right in front of her and Severus had come from behind her.

"There's no time to explain Poppy. I need your help. Please come with me." Severus said urgently.

"What's wrong Severus?" Pomfrey said in concern as she followed Severus to the back of the ward where he opened up the hidden doorway.

"Not here." Severus said as he ushered her into the secret passage. "You'll see in a few minutes."

"How did you discover this secret passage?" Pomfrey asked as they walked down the passage. "And what is that ball of light?"

"It is a manifestation the castle wards designed to lead me through the passages." Severus explained briefly. He sighed slightly when he saw the door to the chamber had been left open.

"Severus is this, what I think it is?" Pomfrey asked as she stared in shock at the large effigies of snakes that lined the main chamber and the large stone bust of Salazar that took up the far end.

"Not now Poppy!" Severus all but snapped as he grabbed Pomfrey's arm and directed her down a side passage where the light went.

"Severus what on earth has you–" Pomfrey's words died in her mouth when she saw an unconscious Harry lying in the chair next to the fire. He looked pale but he was still breathing, albeit rather raggedly, and the bruise on his chest was starting to fade, indicating Fawkes had just cried on it. She noticed his extremely thin torso and was appalled by it. "What the hell happened to him?" Pomfrey asked rushing to Harry's side and started casting diagnostic spells. She didn't even notice Orpheus as the snake slithered out of her way and onto the floor where he wouldn't get in the way.

"I don't know." Severus said as he moved to the opposite side of Harry. "I do not even know how the boy came to reside in the castle."

"How did you find him?" Pomfrey asked as she cast more detailed and in depth spells when the initial ones came up with nothing more than Harry being underweight.

"That ball of light led me to him." Severus lied. Allegiances aside he didn't think it wise to inform the woman of Orpheus' presence just yet.

"This boy has been severely abused and neglected." Pomfrey said with a scowl as the scans came back with results she did not like. "He is almost thirty pounds underweight and has severe internal damage that has gone untreated for years. He's also about eight inches shorter than he should be for his age. How the hell did no one notice this? The only reason I missed it was because the scans I ran on Halloween only picked up the damage done by the troll."

"I doubt anyone knew to suspect anything." Severus said as he watched the woman work her spells on Harry to try and mitigate the damage. "He never let on about his home life and when he is dressed he looks perfectly healthy. It is possible that Dumbledore knew but I am unsure of that at this moment."

"I wouldn't put it past him." Pomfrey said darkly. "That man has changed greatly from when I first met him and not in a good way." Pomfrey cast several more spells and Harry's breathing evened out. "Get me blood replenishing potions Severus. He's lost a lot due to internal bleeding." Pomfrey instructed. She also gave him several other potions to grab as well. She sat beside Harry to keep him stable while she waited for Severus to return. Two minutes after Severus had left though Harry started to regain consciousness.

"Hello Madame Pomfrey." Harry said with a slight smile when he opened his eyes and saw her there.

"Good evening Harry." Pomfrey said with a slight smile. "It's five in the afternoon on June twentieth. How're you feeling?"

"Weak," Harry answered honestly as he shifted slightly. "And thirsty."

"Here," Pomfrey said as she noticed a water carafe on the desk and poured Harry a glass of water.

"Thank you," Harry said after taking a long drink. "So am I all better?"

"Far from it!" Pomfrey said with a stern scowl. "You had severe _untreated_ internal damage. I've managed to repair that artery near your heart but it's fragile. Anything more strenuous than walking around will cause it to tear again. You'll have to take several potions and have regular checkups over the course of several months. Do you want to explain how this happened?"

"He better," Severus warned from the doorway. He had a tray full of potions in his hands as he walked into the room.

"Ten years of abuse does have side effects you know." Harry said darkly avoiding both pairs of eyes in the room and stared into the fire. He wasn't very comfortable talking about this particular subject. Even with Draco he had simply grazed over the topic, though he had told him more than he had ever told anyone before. "It's not like I got these scars playing Exploding Snap."

"Ten years!" Pomfrey said in complete shock.

"From the time I can remember at the least." Harry said sourly.

"Would you care to explain how you managed to get from your relatives to Hogwarts in only four days?" Severus asked in an attempt to divert the conversation from such a sensitive subject. There wasn't any useful information down that road anyways.

Harry snorted. "I never even crossed the barrier at Platform 9 ¾ let alone went back to those wretched people."

"Then how did you get back here?" Severus asked as Madame Pomfrey started making Harry drink the potions he had brought.

"This," Harry said holding up his necklace, a likeness of Fawkes with a ruby, sapphire, emerald, and a canary diamond set around a clear diamond, for Severus to see as he downed another potion. "It's a portkey that is linked to five rooms in the castle but I only have access to two at the moment."

"Where did you get this?" Severus asked as he examined the necklace.

"It was a gift." Was all Harry would say and he gave Severus a rather pointed look telling him to shut up.

"Harry," Madame Pomfrey said hesitantly. "Does Dumbledore know about your abuse?"

"It wouldn't surprise me if he did." Harry said darkly. "He probably thinks that it'll only serve to make me more subservient towards him when I'm at Hogwarts. Too bad he didn't count on me running away." Harry downed another potion and saw a righteous look on Pomfrey's face. "You're not going to tell him I'm here are you?"

"And let you go back to that house!" Pomfrey said in shock. "I think not! Now it's time you had dinner and then sleep. You'll be very weak for a few days so I expect you to take it easy. And I'll be down every day to check on you. Now if you'll excuse me I'll go and get you some food."

"Yes Madame Pomfrey." Harry responded with a slight smile. "Thank you." The ball Harry had conjured earlier to lead Severus now went in front of Madame Pomfrey and led her up to the kitchens.

"You had to run away just to come to Hogwarts didn't you?" Severus asked again in an uncharacteristically kind manner as he conjured a blanket to cover Harry with.

A little nonplused at Snape's actions Harry hesitated briefly. Only Draco knew that little tidbit of information and Harry wasn't sure he wanted anyone else to know. However he was beginning to trust the surly potions master and obviously the man cared for Harry, whether he would admit it or not.

"Yes," Harry admitted as he shifted slightly and pulled the blanket farther up his chest.

Severus nodded as if he had expected the answer, which he had, but that did nothing to mitigate the anger that was rushing through his system. He managed to control it though so he didn't explode on Harry. He wasn't angry with Harry, far from it, he was angry with those muggles. If his assumptions were correct, they had not only severely abused Harry but had tried to deny the child his heritage. Throughout these angry thoughts something occurred to Severus that he thought Harry should know.

"Harry," Severus said calmly. "I'm not going to demand you return to those foul people, nor am I mad at you for running from them. However I think you should know that there are blood wards around that house that are designed to protect you and they're fueled by your contact with your relatives."

Harry snorted and a rather disgusted look donned his face. "There is not a single drop of blood in my body that is related to those foul beasts and Dumbledore knew as much when he placed me with those creatures. I also highly doubt that there is anything more powerful than standard wards around that house _if _there are any wards at all." Harry's eyes were growing heavy but he tried his best to stay awake since he was hungry and wanted food.

"How do you know this?" Severus asked and Harry heard the shock in his voice.

"The founders," Harry said simply. "They told me everything. My mother was not a muggleborn as everyone believes. She was a pureblood who was abandoned at a muggle orphanage and adopted by the Evans family a few days after she was born. Dumbledore," Harry sneered the name, "Knows this because he had been snooping around people's family trees at the time. However for some inane reason he chose to keep it silent and placed me with people who not only didn't want me but also hated me and everything I represented."

Severus sat there in shock at the information Harry had given him. The implications of it were almost unthinkable. He knew the man had started to change for the worse but he had no idea it had stretched back so far. Severus had always thought that the man was a paragon of what was right and just but apparently he had fallen for just an image the man portrayed himself to be to the rest of the world; just as he had with the Dark Lord. Voldemort had portrayed himself as someone trying to preserve the pureblood ways and someone who would cleanse their world of muggle influences. And it was like that too but only in the beginning. The man quickly became corrupted by the Dark Arts and though he still had a silver tongue to recruit new people to his cause, he only delivered pain, chaos, and destruction of everything. This was the reason why Severus had turned spy and why Narcissa had done her best to extract herself from his influence under the guise of raising the next generation. Lucius was the only one among them that embraced the Dark Lord fully and had become corrupted by the Dark Arts as well.

"Harry," Severus started to ask but he stopped when he saw that Harry had fallen asleep.

With a slight smile on his face that he didn't realize was there, Severus gently removed Harry's glasses and pulled the blanket to rest under his chin. Orpheus had chosen that moment to slither up the chair to rest comfortably in Harry's lap with his head lying right over his heart. Severus conjured a small wooden end table to place Harry's glasses on, as well as the food that Pomfrey had just shown up with. After casting warming charms over the food to keep it warm until Harry woke Severus walked over to the bookshelves and browsed the books there before picking one, a potions book written by Salazar himself, and settling down in another chair.

"Go Poppy," Severus said to the mediwitch who had been standing there smiling at the scene before her. "I'll watch over him and make sure he eats when he wakes."

"Make sure he allows me to come back down here tomorrow so I can check up on him." Pomfrey said sternly. "And make sure he takes his potions in twelve hours." She added with a gesture at the five remaining potions that were left on the tray that Severus had brought down. She didn't bother waiting for a response and left to go back to her ward.

–Scene Break–

Harry woke several hours later, just past midnight. Harry looked around for his glasses and found them on a small table next to his chair and the platter of food that was there as well. He noticed that Severus was asleep in the other chair with a book in his lap. Harry smiled slightly when he recognized one of the potions book from Salazar. Trying not to wake Orpheus Harry wormed his way out of his chair and went to the bathroom to relieve his bladder.

When he returned he picked up the tray of food and went over to the desk. He made quick work of the delicious food before pulling out some parchment and ink to write two letters; one for Draco and one for Hermione. He was half way through Hermione's when Snape stirred.

"Harry?" Snape said when he realized that Harry wasn't in the lounge chair.

"Over here Professor," Harry said glancing up from his letter briefly before returning to it.

"How are you feeling?" Snape asked as he closed the book he had been reading before he fell asleep. He got up and stretched slightly before turning to face Harry.

"Still a little weak but much better compared to earlier." Harry answered honestly. He finished his letter and signed his name before leaning back in his chair with a slight yawn. "Thank you, Professor, for not rating me out or making me go back."

Severus just waved the thanks aside. "You're to take these potions at six o'clock." Severus gestured at the potions on the table.

"I will," Harry assured. "Are you going back to your rooms?" Harry asked secretly hoping the man would stay.

"I was going to go check on a potion I had brewing when you sent Orpheus to find me and then I was going to return." Severus answered.

"Oh," Harry said in understanding. Some of the tension in his shoulders eased slightly. "There is a lab just down the hall if you'd prefer to bring the potion down here to make it easier on you. That way you don't have to constantly go back and forth."

"That would be preferable." Severus said with a nod. "I don't suppose there are bedrooms down here as well?"

"Two actually," Harry said with a smile. "I was going to go to the one I had taken after I sent off my letters."

"You are not walking all the way to the Owlery. Especially not by yourself." Severus said sternly with a look that said he expected to be obeyed.

"I was planning on using Hedwig sir." Harry said gesturing towards the snowy white owl that was sitting on her perch preening her feathers.

"Very well," Severus relented and then stalked out of the room to retrieve his things.

Harry just chuckled slightly and called Hedwig over and sent her off with both of his letters tied to her leg. He then picked up Orpheus and walked to the bedroom he had taken over four days ago and went back to sleep.

–Scene Break–

Hermione Granger was eating breakfast with her parents while going on about all the things she had learned at Hogwarts after Christmas break. Of course she had sent regular letters to her parents but nothing could beat a story told in person. She had avoided telling them about the incident with Quirrell since she knew they would freak out. She told them that one of the teachers had had a mental breakdown and had to be removed from the school so he didn't become a threat to the students but she hadn't gone into any further detail. Hermione was just giving details about the end of year finals when a snowy white owl flew in with a hoot to announce her arrival.

"Oh my!" Jane Granger said in surprise as she watched the owl fly in and perch on the back of Hermione's chair. "Oh shoo! Go on shoo!" The owl just stared at Jane with large and intelligent golden eyes.

"Mom," Hermione laughed. "It's okay. This is Hedwig. She's my friend, Harry's, owl. In the Wizarding World they use owls to deliver letters. It's actually much more efficient than regular mail." She explained as she stroked Hedwig's feathers and gave her a piece of bacon off of her plate. She looked at the letters attached to Hedwig's leg and removed the one addressed to her. "Feel free to rest girl before you go." Hermione added to Hedwig but surprisingly the bird took flight almost immediately and flew back out the window. "Odd,"

"Does she usually linger or something?" John Granger asked as he stared after the beautiful owl. When he didn't get a response he looked back to see his daughter reading her letter with an unusually stern look on her face on her face and the more she read the more scared her face became. However when she reached the end of the letter her face became downright furious. "Sweet heart what's wrong?"

"Those monsters are what's wrong!" Hermione suddenly exploded, throwing down the letter in anger.

"Who are monsters dear?" Jane asked going to her daughter's side and putting an arm around the distraught girl.

"Harry's supposed Aunt and Uncle," Hermione answered as she tried to calm herself down. She went on to briefly explain what Harry's home life had been like.

–Scene Break–

"Hey Hedwig," Draco said as he walked into his room and noticed the owl perched on the back of his desk chair. "I wasn't expecting to see you for at least a few more days." He said as he fed her a treat and untied the letter attached to her leg.

Just as Hermione had done Draco had gone from serious to scared, to furious in the span of five minutes as he read the letter. Upon finishing the letter he stalked from the room, not even noticing that Hedwig had fallen asleep on his chair. Draco quickly walked down the hall and made his way towards the library where his mother was located. He was thankful that his father was not home. The man had been far from a good father and Draco and his mother Narcissa had been planning for years to try and get themselves away from the deranged man. Lucius was currently off running some sort of errand and that had allowed Draco and Narcissa to have a relatively relaxing morning.

"Mother!" Draco called as he entered the library. He looked around and saw his mother poke her head around a bookshelf a few isles down.

"What is it dragon? What's wrong?" Narcissa asked as she came out of the stacks and headed towards him.

"This is," Draco said handing her the letter for her to read.

_Dear Draco,_

_I hadn't planned on writing to you or Hermione for at least a few more days but I figured that recent events warranted an update. I cannot put too much down in case this letter is intercepted by a certain meddling old fool but I will do my best to relay the important facts. First off I wish to tell you that I am alive and ok. Secondly, it appears that there is some rather serious lingering damage from the past ten years, the least of which is being gravely underweight. Apparently an artery tore near my heart but I manage to summon assistance. The damage was repaired and I am stable but rather fragile. I am being taken very good care of so please do not worry. I am still safely hidden away so please do not worry about my being exposed. Stay safe and have a happy summer. I will write often so don't fear for a lack of information on my end._

_Harry Potter_

"Harry is very cleaver," Narcissa appraised. "He gives you all the necessary information required to tell you what is going on and yet to anyone who does not know the situation would garner little information from the letter."

"That is not the point mother," Draco said a little impatiently. He was trying desperately to control his temper so he didn't blow up at his mother. "The point is that those despicable muggles abused Harry to the point of leaving lingering, possibly permanent damage to his body."

"Yes that is troublesome," Narcissa said with a frown as she read over the letter again looking for any more possible information. "I take it Harry is not staying at his abusive relatives?"

"He's staying at Hogwarts. He probably summoned Uncle Severus who then retrieved Madame Pomfrey." Draco explained as he paced back and forth. "I want to make sure that no matter what Dumbledore could pull, that Harry doesn't have to ever go back to those wretched creatures."

"Then tell me everything you know and let us plan." Narcissa said as she led Draco over to a sitting area near a fireplace so they could talk.

–Scene Break–

Harry woke the next morning feeling rested and better than he had in the past few days. He still felt weak but he felt more rested, despite the fact that he had gotten up in the middle of the night. However instead of getting out of bed right away, as had been his practice since summer had started, Harry decided to stay in bed. Harry had planned on taking the rest of June for himself to relax and do as he pleased but since he was essentially bedridden Harry figured he might as well move his plans forward.

Harry shifted until he was laying on his back and he closed his eyes. Pulling on his connection to the wards of the castle he delved into their awareness. He wandered and explored until he managed to find the feel of the wards Dumbledore had control of rubbing up against the fail-safes. Compared to the backups these wards were weak. They were lined with tears and holes and were barely defending the castle. If anyone came up to the castle with the intent of taking it over they could easily breach the wards.

Sighing slightly in annoyance at people's stupidity, Harry examined the tears and holes a little more closely. He noticed that they seemed to radiate from a central point. Harry figured that it was whatever Dumbledore had done to the wards that was causing the damage. If he could just find the source and study it he might be able to fix it.

"Harry?" Severus called as he gave Harry a little shake on the shoulder.

"Nyah," Harry said as he jerked out of his trance. He looked around before focusing on Severus and calming his racing heart. "I'm sure you'll take this as a compliment sir, but you're about as sneaky as a viper in tall grass." Harry said as he gently sat himself up.

"I called you five times," Severus said with only a slight smirk at the compliment. The smirk quickly faded though and turned into a frown.

"Oh," Harry said realizing why he hadn't heard the man approach. "Sorry 'bout that. I was focused on the wards."

"Care to tell why?" Severus asked as he handed Harry the potions he was supposed to take. Harry explained the situation concerning the main wards of the castle. "Are you certain?" Severus asked and Harry nodded. "That is not good. Wards are supposed to be free. They attach themselves to a caregiver, someone who guides and makes decisions, but they're never bound to anyone or anything."

"So I've been told," Harry said as he downed the last potion handed to him. "The castle has been vulnerable for quite some time. Some of the tears are decades old."

"Do you think they can be repaired?" Severus asked as he sat down in a chair he conjured.

"Not likely," Harry said with a shrug. He called an elf and ordered breakfast for him and Severus. "I'd have to do a more thorough examination from the perspective of the caregiver and we'd have to free up the wards too before we could make that decision. The good news is that there likely isn't to be an attack of any large scale upon Hogwarts soon."

"Hmm," Severus said noncommittally. "That may be but I think a few other precautions should be taken."

"What would you recommend that wouldn't raise flags with either Dumbledore or the other teachers that would go running straight to him?" Harry asked as he dug into his almost overflowing plate of breakfast. Five slices of French Toast, a large portion of hash browns, several slices of bacon, eight links of sausages, three slices of ham, three large bowls of fruit, a pitcher of orange juice, a plate of biscuits and gravy, and a plate of eggs and toast all adorned the tray that had appeared on his lap. "I see Madame Pomfrey left orders with the elves to give me extra portions of food. I don't think I can eat even half of this."

"She is trying to get you to a healthier weight. Whether you can eat it all is irrelevant. You should eat as much as you can." Severus responded as he started in on his far more reasonable plate of food. "And at the moment no I cannot but I will think it over."

"_I smell sausages._" Orpheus suddenly hissed as he slithered his way out from under the blankets where he had made his nest. Harry couldn't help but laugh. The snake was absolutely obsessed with Hogwarts' sausages.

Surprisingly Harry managed to eat a little over half of the food he had been served without exploding. When he finished, Harry made his way back to the study where he picked up the book he had been reading the night before from where it had fallen from his lap and then sat down at the desk. Harry flipped to where he left off and pulled over a note book he had been using.

"I'm surprised to see a student so young doing homework so soon after summer holidays started." Severus remarked as he sat down in the chair he had taken last night and started reading the book had had gotten halfway through.

"I'm not," Harry said as he jotted down a few notes. "I finished my homework the first full day I was here. I am currently working on a little side project that could prove very useful in the future."

"And what would that be?"

"It's an Occlumency technique." Harry explained. "It melds Occlumency and Legilimency to allow someone to not only create false memories but an entirely fabricated mind within your own. You'll have complete control over absolutely everything, how it looks, what memories it contains, and if you're especially good at it you can create an entirely different identity for anyone looking in to see. It's very difficult though and can easily damage your mind if you do it wrong."

"Where did you find this out?" Severus asked. He got up to look over Harry's shoulder at the book.

"The shelf." Harry said pointing to one of the myriad bookshelves that lined the walls of the study. This wasn't even the library that Salazar used and there were at least ten bookshelves in the room. "Salazar's personal area of study was potions and the mind. He collected and wrote several books about mind magic and potions. The library down the hall has at least two thousand books pertaining solely potions and mind magic."

"You had better not be thinking of trying this," Severus warned. "The last thing you need is to be comatose."

"Oh don't worry," Harry said going back to writing notes. "I don't plan on doing anything even remotely close to performing this until I've done a thorough study of this method and that will take at the very least two months. This is only the first book after all."

"I want your word," Severus said as he laid a hand on the book to block Harry's view. "That you will not try to do this without me present."

"You have my word that I will not try this without your there to supervise." Harry swore as he looked Severus directly in the eye and leaving his mind open so the man could see that he was telling the truth, and he was. Harry had no intention of trying to perform this method of Occlumency for quite some time. He was just studying it right now.

"Thank you," Severus said and went back to his own book.

Harry sat there a little stunned. He stared at Severus as he sat in the chair reading. Over the course of the previous school year Harry pretty much had the potions master pegged down. He was snarky and bitter, completely untrusting, had a tendency to see the worst in people before anything else, dismissed people he considered as irrelevant (though he took note of them), viewed the world as something that would kill him the minute he let his guard down, and showed little no emotion outside of enjoying someone else's despair if he thought they deserved it. Knowing all of this Harry had expected more of battle to convince Severus that he was being truthful. Harry hadn't expected Severus to walk away without entering his mind to make sure he was being truthful and he most certainly hadn't expected a thank you.

Harry lowered the Occlumency shields he kept up around his empathy so he didn't go insane from all the different emotions and allowed it to feed him some more definitive emotions. Since Occlumency merely dulled his empathy instead of outright turning it off Harry was always fed the basics of what a person was feeling, like whether or not they were upset or happy or content. It only let him feel what other people were feeling in any great detail if Harry allowed it to and what he felt from Severus made him… uncomfortable. Unsure of how to react to such information Harry raised his shields and went back to his project.


	6. Chapter 6: July

**Disclaimer: **The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me

**A/N: **Ok everyone here's the next chapter I hope you like :) Review and let me know

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><p>CHAPTER TWO: JULY<p>

Harry sat out by the lake under his invisibility cloak enjoying the day. It was the fifth day of July and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. Madame Pomfrey's latest scan had shown that his artery was showing signs of improvement, although it was still very frail. So Harry had decided to take a small little walk and enjoy the weather. He didn't want to push himself though so he simply walked out to the lake and sat down underneath his favorite tree and enjoyed the warmth of the sun.

"_I wonder when they'll decide to approach me._" Harry said aloud to Orpheus. The basilisk was currently coiled in the grass next to Harry and enjoying the sun as well.

"_Who?_" Orpheus asked lazily. He didn't even open his eyes.

"_The lion and eagle that are currently sitting on the edge of the forest watching me,_" Harry explained. He too hadn't bothered to open his eyes since the wards had told him of the animal's presence. "_Separate I might be inclined to brush them off as animals of the forest, although the lion would be a bit of a giveaway either way. But both of them together just makes it obvious to me who they are._"

"_Ssssss,_" Orpheus hummed in his snake like manner. He cracked open an eye to look at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. "_Yes, they never were very sneaky._"

"Harry?" A deep voice sounded from Harry's right.

"Hello Professor," Harry said in a relaxed tone. "What can I do for you?"

"I wanted your assistance with something," Severus said as he stared out at the lake to make anyone who might be looking think that he was simply enjoying the view and weather. "I came across a section in the potions book I've been reading that I cannot read. It does not appear to be any language that I am familiar with and considering that it was written by Salazar Slytherin I figured that it might be Parseltongue. Since you are the only person I know of that speaks to snakes I was hoping that you might be able to translate it for me."

"Certainly Professor," Harry said as he stood up, making sure that the cloak kept him covered. He glanced over his shoulder at the two animals sitting just inside the trees of the forest. He knew they could see him despite the cloak but he wasn't worried. They were there to observe not harm and Harry would let them. They were just as old as Orpheus and just as dangerous and Harry would let them come to him when they were ready. "I wanted to work on stuff anyways."

Harry followed Severus back into the castle and then back down into The Chamber of Secrets where he took the book Severus handed him and located the passage written in Parseltongue. Harry could indeed read the passage as Severus had hoped but he didn't start translating it for the potions master. As he read the passage his expression became more and more serious. He snapped the book closed and stalked off towards The Sanctuary with a rather confused Severus following him.

"Salazar!" Harry called as he stalked up to the painting of the founder of his house. "What is this?" He held up the book in his hands.

"It appears to be a book," Salazar said sarcastically with a raised eyebrow.

"Salazar Slytherin, do not play games with me." Harry growled at the painting on the wall.

"Alright," Salazar sighed. "I assume you are referring to the passage in that book that is written in Parseltongue yes?" Harry nodded in confirmation. "Well then first off you should know that the potion was not intentional. I was experimenting one day and that potion was the result. Once I discovered what the potion did I converted my notes into Parseltongue and destroyed the originals. I kept a record of it to remind myself never to mix those ingredients again. I didn't fear for anyone else discovering the potion since no one would think to mix the ingredients I used in such a manner."

"Did _he_ find it?" Harry asked with a dark look on his face.

"Thankfully not," Salazar said with a pained look on his face. "The wards guarding my rooms in The Chamber never allowed him access to be able to discover the potion."

"What potion?" Severus asked.

"It is a potion that makes the drinker completely compliant in absolutely every way," Salazar explained sadly and with an extremely serious look on his face. "No matter who's giving the orders the person will obey unquestioningly. One drink will destroy the person's mind. Their memories will remain intact as well as the ability to function and live but they have no will, no drive to live. They will breathe but they will not eat or drink unless told to do so. The person giving the orders has complete and utter control. All that is left of the person who drinks the potion is an empty shell and memories. There will be absolutely no trace of the person that once lived inside."

"I'm sorry Professor but I can't translate this for you," Harry said turning back to Severus and handing him the book. Not bothering to wait for a response Harry left The Sanctuary.

"I would not push him on this Professor Snape," Salazar said from his painting before Severus could go running off after Harry. "That potion is extremely dangerous and I wouldn't put that on the mind of one so young. No matter how mature they seem."

"I wasn't going to," Severus said to the painting. "I happen to agree with his sentiment. This potion should remain a secret. However there are other potions masters out there and some that are very malicious that might stumble upon this mixture. It would be prudent to try and come up with an antidote if possible." Severus turned to face the painting. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell me the ingredients you used?"

Salazar stared long and hard at Severus before answering. "I want your word Snape," Salazar said but added before Severus could utter a sound. "I want you to swear upon Harry's head that you will not even think about trying to make that potion."

Severus stared at the painting in no small amount of surprise. He hadn't been expecting such an oath. Severus had been honest in his statement that he only wanted to try and discovered a reversal potion in case someone out there managed to make such a dangerous concoction so he could make the oath quite easily. No, what surprised him was just how much he was coming to care for Harry and how much it was showing that a painting would offer such an oath.

After giving his oath and getting the list of ingredients Severus walked out of the room and rejoined Harry in the study in The Chamber of Secrets. Harry was calmly working on one of his side projects so Severus sat down in the chair he had subtly claimed as his own and started going over the list of ingredients.

–Scene Break–

Half way through July Harry Potter could be found roaming the Headmaster's office. Or rather he could not be found since he was hidden beneath his invisibility cloak. It was midnight and anyone left in the castle was in a deep sleep, even the paintings in the office. Harry had chosen this night because Dumbledore had left the castle. Harry honestly wouldn't be surprised if the man was gone for a couple of days. He had finally realized that the stone was a fake and he was most likely off talking to his friend Nicholas Flamel about it and to try and talk his way back into the alchemist's good graces. At the end of first year the man could be seen storming from the castle and Harry had no doubt in his mind it was because Dumbledore had lied to him about the stone being stolen. Harry was still currently deciding what he should do with the stone since he had neither need nor want for it.

However that wasn't his reason for his little jaunt into the Headmaster's office so late at night. His real reason for being there was because he wanted to see what little treasures the man had hidden in his library. He didn't dare touch any of the books since he could feel dozens of wards guarding the bookcases but he could gather much information just from looking at the titles, which he dutifully wrote down on a little piece of parchment that he had brought with him.

"You are very bold for one so young." A deep and ancient sounding voice came from behind Harry causing him to start very badly and whirl around. His heart rate sky rocketed and pain started to emanate from his chest. He quickly calmed his breathing and tried to get his heart rate under control. Madame Pomfrey had lectured him for almost half an hour about keeping his heart rate low until his was fully healed.

"Don't do that to me!" Harry whispered harshly to the lion that stood before him once his heart rate was back to normal and the pain receded from his chest. The lion easily could have towered over fang and stood at least a foot taller than Harry did. Its big bushy mane easily identified it as a male lion as well. "And keep your voice down. I don't want to wake the portraits."

"You are not surprised or scared by my presence, why?" The lion whispered.

"I probably would have been surprised if I hadn't seen you on the edge of the Forbidden Forest a few days back." Harry said quietly as he led the way back over to the secret entrance. He was obviously not going to get any more sneaking done tonight and he didn't want to wake the portraits.

"I see," The lion said. Once they were safely hidden away in the secret passages Harry removed his invisibility cloak and turned to face the lion. "I never was very sneaky, kind of hard to be when you're a lion in this country. Well anyways, as I'm sure you've guessed I was the familiar of Godric Gryffindor. My name is Kane."

"It is a pleasure to meet you Kane," Harry said with a slight bow. "Despite you nearly giving me a heart attack."

"My apologies," Kane said as he sniffed Harry slightly. "I did not sense before now that you are having medical issues."

"It's quite alright," Harry said as he gestured for Kane to follow and he led the way back down to the Chamber of Secrets. "I can hardly fault you for something you didn't know about." Kane's only response was to hum which sounded like thunder to Harry. After that the two walked in silence and neither spoke again until Harry was back in his bedroom.

"So what made you decide to approach me?" Harry asked out of curiosity as he changed into his pajamas. He paused with his shirt off to poke and prod at his chest. No bruise had formed from the spike in his heart rate when Kane had scared him and there was no lingering pain and Harry was satisfied the artery was still intact. He'd know more tomorrow when Madame Pomfrey gave him his daily check up.

"I was impressed with the bravery you have shown. It takes guts to sneak into the Headmaster's office, whether he's there or not." Kane said as he made himself comfortable on the king size four poster bed.

"I'm happy to have impressed you so," Harry said sincerely as he put on his pajama shirt. He turned to make his way to bed but froze when he saw Kane on the bed, thankfully not on the side that he normally slept on. "You better not snore." Was all Harry could say before he climbed into bed under the covers. He then had to cover his ears as Kane let out a thunderous laugh.

"You are very strange young one," Kane said. He licked Harry on the side of the head causing his hair to look messier than normal. Harry couldn't help but make a face at having been licked by a lion; it was about ten times worse than being licked by a dog. "Strange, but good and I like you."

"Thanks," Harry said as he wiped saliva off his face with a washcloth he had left beside his bed. Once he was appropriately clean Harry doused the lamp on his nightstand and settled into the covers and went to sleep.

The next morning Harry woke to find a paw resting on his chest and a very loud, very wet, nose in his ear. Wondering when his life had gotten so strange Harry gently extracted one of his hands and felt around the nightstand for his glasses. It took him a few moments but he eventually found them and managed to get them onto his face. After a few moments of just lying in bed contemplating the absolute absurdity of his present predicament, Harry carefully lifted the paw that was on his chest, which weighed at least ten pounds by itself, and managed to slip out of bed without disturbing Kane. Harry had no idea what kind of morning person… lion? Kane would be and he did not want to end up on the cranky side of a lion that could devour him in one bite.

Making his way quietly into the bathroom, Harry turned on the water to fill the enormous tub that took up a good seventy percent of the room. Harry had honestly never seen such a large in his life. He had seen swimming pools this large but not bathtubs. It was actually one of the main things he loved about residing in The Chamber of Secrets. He'd spend at least an hour every morning just relaxing and floating in the giant bath.

As he lowered himself into the bath Harry couldn't help but marvel at Madame Pomfrey's skill at healing. Not only had she repaired his internal damage and helped strengthen his artery but she had also managed to get rid of a few of the scars on his chest. Only the simple ones though. The ones caused by burns had stubbornly remained in place, although she did manage to lessen their prominence. Her regimen of stuffing himself until he exploded was working as well. He was still dangerously thin but his ribs were not as defined as before.

"Enjoying yourself?" A deep voice asked. It was distorted by the water since his ears were under the surface as he floated about on top of the water but he could tell who it was.

"You're lucky I heard you coming Kane," Harry said with a smirk on his face. He had heard the bathroom door creak open just a few seconds before Kane had spoken. "And yes I am." Harry righted himself and brushed the water out of his face and turned towards Kane, who had laid down on the edge of the pool. "You know I don't think I've ever seen the phrase, 'peeping tom cat' so accurately portrayed before."

Kane chuckled at that and flashed a smile that revealed his fangs. "Be that as it may I am hardly a common house cat,"

"True," Harry said and then he flicked some water at Kane and the lion immediately jumped out of the way. "But you have their fear of water." Harry added with a teasing smile.

Kane eyed Harry in annoyance but then a glint entered his eyes. A smile spread across the lion's face and he shifted his stance. Harry stared at Kane with an eyebrow raised in curiosity but realization suddenly dawned on his face and he started backing up.

"No," Harry said pointing a finger at Kane as he continued to back up. "No. Don't you dare. There is no way I'm –" Harry cut himself off as he turned away to shield himself from the water that sprayed throughout the entire room when Kane landed in the tub.

"How's that for fear?" Kane said after he had hopped back out of the tub and had shaken off the excess water.

"Point taken," Harry said as he got out of the tub and grabbed a towel and started drying himself off. "The jokes on you though," Harry added with a grin. "I can't use any magic to dry you off and there's no way I'm doing it by hand." Kane looked at Harry in surprise but his look quickly turned into a scowl and he uttered a throaty growl. "Hey I tried to stop you so don't get mad at me."

"You provoked me though," Kane said as he followed Harry out of the bathroom. He went over to the fireplace and sat down. A fire immediately sprang up and started warming the drenched feline.

"I most certainly did not!" Harry protested as he finished drying himself and got dressed. "I was merely teasing you. You most certainly did not have to leap into the bath with me."

Kane's only response was to growl before he started licking himself in an attempt to dry himself. The fire was helping but it could only do so much at once and it would be several hours before he was dry. Harry just smiled as he walked out of his room and went towards the study.

"I will get you back for this," Kane said darkly as he plodded through the room and sat down in front of the fire.

"_Come now Kane_," Orpheus said as he slithered his way out of Harry's collar and over to the fireplace. "_It was your fault that you jumped in not his._"

"That may be but he could at least dry me off," Kane said sulkily as he continued to try speed up the drying process.

"_He is under age and cannot use any spells without risking exposing his location,_" Orpheus reasoned as he slithered through Kane's fur to try and help. "_He is also restricted from doing any strenuous activities which would include drying a fully grown lion with a towel._"

"Humph," Kane pouted as he shifted positions to allow the heat access to the other side of his body.

Harry just smiled slightly behind his papers he was reading. It was just too hilarious to see a fully grown African lion pouting and it was taking all of Harry's skill to not just burst out laughing. Had he been dealing with anyone other than a lion that could swallow him whole Harry probably would have been on the floor laughing with tears running down his cheeks. As it was he did his best to limit himself to a smile.

It wasn't long though before his smile faded and he started staring off in the distance. His conscience was bugging him. He opened the top, heavily warded, drawer of his desk and stared down at the contents. Making up his mind Harry shut the drawer and pulled over some ink and parchment and began to write a letter.

–Scene Break–

Albus Dumbledore was more than a little vexed. He was downright angry. Someone was making a fool of him and he did not like it. First someone had managed to slip into his office without tripping a single ward. Then they had apparently replaced the Sorcerer's Stone fake and had charmed it distribute a potion that caused his appearance to change without his knowledge. And to top it all off this fiend had cost him one of his most potent and powerful ally's.

He paced throughout his office trying to figure out who could possibly have the resources and means to do this to him. It obviously wasn't Quirrell. The man had upped and vanished a week before school had ended for the summer. Not a single trace of the man could be found and the only trace of the fake stone Dumbledore had set up as a diversion and test for young Harry was a pile of shattered glass. As far as Dumbledore knew Harry had almost completely ignored the mystery of the stone and that was not a good thing. That meant that Dumbledore's task of engraining the boy to him would be far more difficult than he had planned on.

Speaking of which, his plan to use the invisibility cloak to catch the boy during a late night wandering or in a forbidden area had completely blown up in his face. Throughout the entire school year after Christmas it appeared as if Harry had not once even touched the cloak with the intent of using it. However once term ended and Harry went home it appeared as if he had left the cloak in the dungeons. When he went to retrieve the thing he was surprised to find a very nasty, very large and holey sock with his tracking charm on it. Somehow Harry had managed to detect his tracking charm, which should have been impossible, and then transferred it to the sock, again which should have been impossible. Things were not going his way and controlling Harry Potter would be a lot more difficult than Dumbledore had originally planned. He just hoped that a summer with those muggles would make the boy more submissive.

–Scene Break–

Nicolas Flamel was sitting in his dark study brooding. That stone had taken him almost fifty years to create and without the elixir he wouldn't last another five to make another and neither would his wife. With any luck they would make it until the end of the year but Nicolas had his doubts. He never should have allowed Dumbledore to convince him that the stone would be safer at Hogwarts instead of here with him. Not a single sole outside of Dumbledore knew where he and his wife lived and his home was warded tighter than Gringotts.

Now it was all over and his efforts for not. He may be over six hundred years old but there was still so much he had wished to do, so much he wished to study. He was not ready for death yet.

Suddenly a tapping at his window brought him out of his dark thoughts. He looked over to see a snowy white owl perched on the outside of his window. Nicolas got up and let the owl in. It flew over and perched on the back of one of the chairs in the room. Nicolas stared at the bird for several minutes. The only person that could possibly be writing him was Dumbledore and this was not the bird he normally used. Given such information he couldn't help but wonder how the bird had found him.

"Hello there," Nicolas said as he fed the bird a treat before untying the letter and package tied to one of its talons. He gave the bird another treat before sitting down in his chair and opening the letter.

_Mr. Flamel,_

_You and I have never met though undoubtedly we both have heard of the other. However due to certain circumstances I am not going to reveal who I am to you at the present time. Simply know that I am someone who wishes you no harm. _

_I am writing you this letter because I wish to return something that belongs to you. I found it in the drawer of a meddling old fool that was using it for his own gain and most likely without your permission. Likely he fooled you along with several others just so he could get his hands on the stone. In any case though he no longer has it and thankfully no innocents were harmed due to his folly. I had not written sooner because I was unsure of what to do but I have decided that it would be best if the stone was returned to your safe keeping. I recommend that you keep it quiet for as long as possible that you have the stone once again. _

_Yours,_

_Shadow_

Nicolas stared at the parchment in dumbfounded shock for several long minutes before his brain finally managed to process what was written. He set the letter aside and quickly tore into the package that had come with it. Inside the plain looking box was a ruby red stone the size of his fist. Nicolas nearly fainted when he saw the stone. With a shaking had he gently lifted the stone from the box. He could feel the faint pulse of power emanating from the stone and he knew it was real. He simply could not believe that someone would give up such an artifact without a fight. Putting the matter aside though he rushed from the room and went to find his wife.

–Scene Break–

The last few days of July were actually quite dull compared to the rest of the month. Harry spent most of his time either doing research into mind magic and potions. Occasionally he'd come across a book in Salazar's library that had nothing to do with either subject but those were few and far between. However he was actually becoming quite proficient in potions and he was getting closer to being able to creating a false mind, though he was still months away from that.

When Harry wasn't studying he could usually be found in the potions lab experimenting. He was actually beginning to think Severus was rubbing off on him since he was starting to actually enjoy his experiments. It had started out as simply something to do to pass the time but it was quickly turning into a hobby and he was spending more time in there. However his experiments were limited since he couldn't use any actual magic. Harry wasn't sure if the wards he had shielding his presence would shield any magic he used and Harry wasn't willing to risk getting caught and sent back to the Dursley's. He had asked Severus about how the Ministry of Magic tracked underage magic but all he could offer were educated guesses.

It was because of his desire to remain entertained and distracted that Harry had completely forgotten that his birthday was approaching. He woke up on July 31st and was surprised to find a small pile of presents sitting at the foot of his bed. It took him a few moments but he eventually remembered the date and realized that his friends had sent him birthday presents. Smiling slightly at actually having presents on his birthday for once, Harry crawled towards the end of his bed, careful to not wake Kane, who was curled up in a ball next to him, and picked up a package. The card said it was from Draco and inside the box was a beautiful ornate mirror the size of a small picture frame.

A little unsure of what to make of such an odd present Harry set it aside on his night stand and turned towards the rest of his presents. Draco had also gotten him candy and a small statue of a dragon. Harry had always been fascinated by dragons and he had found it rather funny that his best friend's name was Draco. Hermione had, of course, gotten him more books. They were muggle books though and of the fantasy genre. She figured that he probably didn't have much to do while hiding at Hogwarts so she thought he would like some books for entertainment rather than educational. Harry was actually very grateful for that thought since things did tend to get rather boring from time to time.

"Harry!" A voice suddenly shouted from behind him.

As had happened with Kane he started badly and his heart started racing. He took several minutes to calm himself before turning around to see who had scared him. Upon seeing no one Harry frowned but then noticed that the mirror Draco had given him was displaying an image of Draco rather than himself.

"Draco?" Harry asked a little unsure.

"Yup!" Draco answered with a smile. Harry smiled back and grabbed the mirror.

"Cool!" Harry said looking down at the reflection of his friend and completely forgetting about his earlier fright. "Where did you get this?"

"My mom made it actually," Draco answered. "So how are you? How's your summer been? I know you've written but you can never put very much detail in your letters."

"Who is talking so loud?" Kane said with a mighty yawn before Harry could answer.

"Who is that?" Draco asked as he moved this way and that trying to get a better look but only served to make Harry laugh since the blond was limited to what was in view of the mirror.

"Let me get dressed and I'll tell you about my summer," Harry said as he got up. "As for you, sleepy go back to bed." He added to Kane, who promptly flopped his head back down and shut his eyes.

Harry just shook his head with a smile at the lion's antics and got dressed. After dressing in comfortable clothing and grabbing one of his new fantasy novels that Hermione had given him Harry walked out of his bedroom and went to sit down in his favorite chair in the study. Once he was comfortable he went about telling Draco pretty much everything that had transpired since he had returned to the castle after

"I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying your summer," Draco said with a smile. However he quickly turned serious. "Look," He said looking Harry in the eye. "I don't want to get your hopes up or anything but I think you should know. Mom and I are working on a way to make sure that you don't have to go back to those muggles no matter what Dumbledore says."

"You are?" Harry said in shock. He hadn't seen that coming. No one had ever tried to something like that for him. Hell no one had ever tried to help him in any way what so ever before.

"Yes we are," Draco said with a nod. "However it is difficult given your age as well as Dumbledore's influence. We can circumvent him but the problem of your age remains. In stripping those muggles of their guardian status someone else would have to be named as your legal guardian."

"And you can't think of anyone and your family can't do it because of your father." Harry said with an understanding nod.

"There is one person," A silky smooth voice said from behind Harry.

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><p><strong>AN:** Ok so a little question for all my fabulous fans out there. Who thinks that Neville should become a fixed character in the story? I honestly can't decided so please review and let me know your opinion :)


	7. Chapter 7: August and a new Term

**Disclaimer: **The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me

**A/N: **Ok everyone here's the new update! I apologize for the unusually long wait. I got hit with a really nasty cold and then mono on top of it and then Thanksgiving came and everything just went crazy. But here it is I hope you guys like it. Review and let me know what you think. :-)

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><p>CHAPTER THREE: AUGUST AND A NEW TERM<p>

The first half of August past rather strangely for Harry. For the most part it passed much in the way that June and July had; quiet and calm. However what made it strange for Harry was coming to terms with what Severus had done. He had agreed to adopt Harry to make Draco's plan work and that made Harry uncomfortable. It wasn't that he wasn't grateful, far from it; it's just that the only parental figure he ever had were the Dursleys and they were far from a good example. He didn't think that Severus would be like them but that didn't stop the underlying fear he had of an adult being in control of his life.

It was with these fears in the forefront of his mind that Harry stepped through the floo and into private office at St. Mungo's on August sixteenth. Draco's and Narcissa's plan required documentation from a reputable mediwitch or wizard. Madame Pomfrey maybe a superb medic but the documentation had to come from someone that Dumbledore couldn't manipulate in anyway and unfortunately the old bastard could hold her job over her head if he found out about their plans.

"Hello," A kind looking witch that had to be in her fifties at least came out from behind her desk. "You must be Mr. Potter and Professor Snape. I am Healer Wilmot. It is a pleasure to meet the both of you."

"A pleasure to meet you as well," Harry said with a smile as he shook her offered hand. Severus merely shook her hand with a nod.

"Well I'm sure you have plenty of stuff to do so let us begin," Wilmot said as she directed Harry to a chair so she could start running her scans. The exam didn't take more than an hour but it felt longer to Harry since he was nervous about their meeting at the Ministry.

After answering some of Healer Wilmot's questions when she had finished her examination and having her declare that Madame Pomfrey's regime of potions and heavy meals were working, Harry and Severus left her office. Unfortunately for the two of them they couldn't floo straight into office of the ministry person they were going to meet since the wards around the ministry required any unapproved visitors to go through the main entrance. Which meant that they would risk being seen and reported to Dumbledore but with any luck they will have finished with their business before he could interfere.

Before they left St. Mungo's Severus transfigured their robes into clothing appropriate for muggle London and then led Harry out onto the streets. Thankfully St. Mungo's wasn't that far from the Ministry's visitor's entrance. It was just far enough though to get Harry's blood running.

"Are you alright?" Severus asked as the phone booth moved downward. Harry was breathing rather heavily and leaning up against the wall of the phone booth.

"Yeah," Harry said as he took a deep breath to try and calm his heart rate. "The walk was just a little longer than I previously thought."

"Is your chest hurting?" Severus asked as he dug around an inside pocket of his robes.

"No," Harry said with a shake of his head. He was still breathing a little heavily.

"Here," Severus said as he handed Harry a small vial of a light blue potion that Harry recognized as a calming draught. It was a small dose, a mouth full at most, and would help calm both Harry's breathing and his nerves.

"Thanks," Harry said after he had downed the potion. It was actually the only potion that Harry had taken to date that he actually didn't mind the taste of.

"You are welcome," Severus replied stiffly before falling silent. Harry smiled slightly at the potions master. The man was clearly not accustomed to being given gratitude or responding to it.

The two of them walked into the Atrium of the Ministry and towards the security desk at the far end of the hall. At first Harry marveled at the beauty and intricacy of the designs and decorations around the hall but when he set sight on the golden statue in the fountain in the middle of the hall he felt sick and did his best to ignore the statue. He found it disgusting and repulsive. It clearly stated what the Ministry thought the world should be like; wizards in power and everything else in service to them. Harry thought it was much like the way Voldemort thought the world should be. The Ministry was just less violent in the way they brought about this disgusting image.

_Wizards used to be much less pigheaded,_ Orpheus said within the confines of Harry's mind. _It is a shame that they have fallen so far. _Harry just nodded in agreement and kept his head slightly lowered so as to keep his hair over his scar.

After dealing with the security guard Severus and Harry made their way over to the lifts and filed in amongst the other witches and wizards. The office they were after was on the fourth floor in the Department of Wizarding Family Services. Draco had told him that this particular which was as strict as they came and wouldn't bend the rules for anyone, not even a prestigious wizard like Dumbledore. She was also known for her efficiency. If she found your case legitimate she'd have everything filed and registered by the day's end. Harry hoped Draco was right because once Dumbledore found out about this he'd do everything within his power to prevent this from happening.

"Good afternoon," A tall and stern looking woman said as she stood up from behind her desk. Her demeanor said she could be firm when necessary but her eyes told Harry that she was truly a kind person. The emotions Harry was getting from her also said she had a big heart. "I'm Rose. Please have a seat and we'll begin."

–Scene Break–

Dumbledore sat in his office late at night staring into the fireplace brooding. Less than a month ago when he had been working on signing and sending out Hogwarts letters he had discovered that Harry had somehow gone missing again. When he had signed Harry's name on the envelope no address had appeared. He had charmed the envelopes himself to produce the address of anyone whose name was written on it but no address had appeared. Instead of raising an alarm like he had the last time Harry had mysteriously disappeared he decided to approach the situation calmly. He spoke with the Order members he had asked to watch Harry and make sure he got home alright and they admitted to seeing Harry leave the platform but not actually meeting up with his parents.

After hearing that Dumbledore decided to make a trip to the Dursley's house to make sure that Harry was safely hidden away. Upon arriving at the house Dumbledore received a lecture from an overweight man about freakishness interrupting his business meeting and how he thought they were through with such nonsense when "that boy" ran away last year. When he heard this Dumbledore had gone deathly pale. He quickly excused himself from the Dursley's and made his way back to his office and started casting every tracking charm he could think of. Harry could not be allowed to be out on the streets away from protection. It was far too dangerous. There were dozens of witches and wizards out there that would love to get their hands on Harry for stopping Voldemort all those years ago.

Unfortunately each and every single tracking charm came back empty. Not a single one had been able to locate the boy. Not even the extremely powerful and borderline illegal ones were able to locate Harry. With a little fine tuning Dumbledore managed to discover that he was alive but behind extremely powerful wards that were shielding his presence.

"The Malfoy's!" Dumbledore said in shock. He should have realized it before then and he silently berated himself for not thinking of it before. The most likely place Harry would have gone was the Malfoy's since his best friend was the young Malfoy boy and if that was the case than he seriously feared for the boy's safety even more than before. That Lucius was a right piece of work. Dumbledore had yet to pass judgment over young Draco but he wouldn't be surprised if he turned out exactly like his father.

Dumbledore quickly set about making plans to try and discover if Harry resided at Malfoy Manor and how to extract him if he was.

–Scene Break–

Harry sat in his favorite lounge chair reading a book Draco had given him when the alarm Severus had given him when he asked went off. It had been set to go off an hour and a half before the train was due in Hogsmeade station so Harry would have enough time to get to the station and appear to be arriving with the rest of the students. It was an annoying charade to keep up but he was not yet ready for the public, and especially Dumbledore, to know that he was staying at Hogwarts.

With a sigh Harry put his book into the pocket of his school robe and made his way out of the study. He didn't bother taking his trunk though he had packed it and left orders with the elves to take it to the Slytherin dorms when they took the others from the train.

"You know," Harry said as he walked down the tunnel that would lead him to Hogsmeade with Kane walking beside him. "I was wondering something."

"And what would that be?" Kane asked.

"Are you just going to follow me around while I attend classes or something?" Harry asked looking at the large lion padding down the hallway next to him.

"Hmmm," Kane hummed in thought. He was silent for a moment before speaking. "That would be impractical. I could turn into a normal sized feline however that too wouldn't work since you already have an owl." Kane fell silent in thought. It wasn't until they had reached the outer edge of Hogsmeade that he spoke up again. "Though I do not particularly care for the idea I suppose I could join Orpheus as a tattoo."

"Can you even do that?" Harry asked in shock. "No offense or anything but you're easily three times my size. How are you going to fit on my body as a tattoo?" Orpheus was about ten feet long and took up a great deal of skin as a tattoo and Harry could only imagine how much room Kane would take up.

Kane chuckled before speaking. "Everything is possible with magic young one,"

Without waiting for a response Kane pressed his nose to Harry's chest. Red and gold flecks of light, similar to some fireworks Harry saw once, began coming off of Kane and floated towards Harry. In a matter of moments Kane vanished in a shower of red and gold sparks that absorbed into Harry's skin. Before Harry could search for his new tattoo of Kane he heard someone thumping up the path towards the station where he was standing. He quickly pulled out his invisibility cloak and wrapped it around himself just as Hagrid came up the steps. The large man looked around the platform and held his lantern high.

"I coulda sworn…" Hagrid didn't get to finish his sentence because just then the train loosed its whistle started pulling into the station.

Hagrid shrugged his shoulders and started hollering for first years as students started disembarking from the train. Harry did his best not to bump into the other students as he searched for Draco and Hermione. It didn't take long for Harry to spot the tell tale platinum blond hair of Draco followed by the head of bushy hair that was Hermione.

"Boo," Harry whispered into each of their ears. They both promptly jumped slightly and Harry couldn't help but giggle slightly at their reaction. He did a quick scan of the crowd to make sure no one was looking before pulling off his cloak and stuffing it into one of his pockets.

"Harry!" Hermione squealed. She barely gave Harry a chance to stow away his cloak before wrapping him in a hug. "Oh Harry I missed you! How are you? How was your summer? What was it like living there?"

"Give him a chance to actually answer Hermione," Draco said with a smirk. "And for god's sake let him breathe." Draco moved over to pull the over enthusiastic girl off of Harry so he could actually breathe. "Come on let's get a carriage and Harry can give us all the fabulous details of his summer there and we can do the same."

Harry, Draco, and Hermione managed to find an empty carriage and they climbed in. Harry then insisted that his two friends tell him about their summers before he went into his own. Surprisingly no one joined their carriage so they managed to talk uninterrupted. It wasn't until Harry had finished his recounting of his summer's events that they realized they were not headed to Hogwarts at all.

"What the hell?" Harry said when he looked out the window to see how close they were only to find them nowhere near Hogsmeade let alone Hogwarts. "Where are we going?"

"It looks like we're headed south of Hogwarts," Draco said looking out the carriage window.

"Did something go wrong with the spells that pull the carriages?" Hermione asked as she crowded next to Draco, who sat across from her next to Harry, to look out the window.

"Impossible," Harry said with a shake of his head. He tried to lean out the window a little farther to look at the front of the carriage but couldn't quite manage it. "The carriages are pulled by Thestrals not magic. Someone would have to be messing with the reins in order to lead the carriage astray."

"What're Thestrals?" Hermione asked, ever the academic.

"Later," Harry said before switching to Parseltongue to speak to Orpheus. "_Can you slither out the window to see if someone is out there?_" Orpheus responded by slithering out of Harry's sleeve and out of the window. Harry idly noted that Draco had decided to take it upon himself to inform Hermione about Thestrals.

"_There is no one out there but I do sense the magic of a house elf controlling the Thestrals,_" Orpheus said as he slithered back in through the window.

"Odd," Harry said in bafflement. He turned towards Hermione and Draco. "A house elf is controlling the carriage for some reason."

"Why on earth would a house elf be controlling a carriage? And why just ours?" Hermione asked in confusion. She had discovered house elves during the second half of first year when Harry had led her down to the kitchens to eat in peace and knew all about them since upon discovering the incorrigible creatures she went to the library as soon as possible and read everything she could find about them.

"I'm not sure but whatever the reason we need to get off the carriage and back to the castle," Harry said pulling out the portkey Godric had given him last year before Christmas. "With any luck we might make it there just as the other carriages arrive and shouldn't look too suspicious."

Hermione and Draco both placed a finger on the jeweled phoenix pendent that Harry held out for them. With a small flare of magic directed into the pendent from Harry the three friends were whisked away. In a matter of seconds they found themselves in The Sanctuary.

"How are we going to slip into the Great Hall without anyone noticing?" Hermione asked worriedly as she rushed down the secret passages with Harry and Draco.

"The cloak," Harry said as he attempted to keep his heart under control. His artery was much stronger than it had been at the start of summer but it could still open up again if it was put under too much strain. "We'll slip out of the passageway just outside the Great Hall under the cloak and slip into the crowds of students filing in and then slip the cloak off as we enter the hall. Hopefully no one will notice anything."

"I still don't understand why a house elf would do such a thing," Draco mused aloud. "House elves are bound to listen to their masters. Who would send an elf to lead a carriage full of children astray?"

"Too many questions and not enough information," Harry said in an annoyed tone. "That's the problem with these types of situations. We can't figure anything out until something more happens."

"Unfortunately," Draco said just as annoyed with the situation.

They all fell silent as Harry draped the invisibility cloak over them before they slipped out of the passageway. Just as the passage door closed the first wave of students came up the stairs. It was a mix of mostly older years but there were a few from second and third years. Among these students, bringing up the rear was Neville Longbottom. Harry smiled slightly at the nervous Gryffindor and quickly led Draco and Hermione into line behind the boy and whipped off the cloak before anyone could walk up behind them. Just as Harry stuffed the cloak into his pocket Neville looked behind him.

"W-where did y-you guys c-come from?" Neville stuttered as they all walked into the Great Hall.

"The carriages of course," Harry said giving the boy a cheerful wink before they split off for their separate tables. Harry gave Hermione a quick hug before walking beside Draco towards the Slytherin tables.

After settling down at the Slytherin table Harry looked up at the Head table and locked eyes with Severus. He politely knocked on the man's Occlumency shields and when he had been let in he gave a quick recounting of what had happened with the carriage. Concern floated back to Harry but he quickly assured Severus that everyone was safe and no one was harmed. Before ending the silent communication Severus told Harry to meet him after the feast was over.

"Harry?" Draco asked quietly with a small nudge on his shoulder. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," Harry said as he came back to himself. "Just informing Professor Snape about what happened."

"Oh," Draco said in understanding. He was silent for a while as Professor McGonagall brought in the first years. Harry could tell Draco was trying to decide whether or not to say something to him but Harry wasn't going to push his friend so he just sat there quietly and watched the sorting. "I think," Draco finally whispered when almost half of the first years had been sorted. "That my father might be planning something against the school this year."

"How so?" Harry asked as he turned his attention from the sorting to Draco.

"He was acting really strange this summer," Draco explained as quietly as he could with other people sitting around him. "He was very secretive and always hiding away from mother and me in his study. Then at Diagon Alley he went out of his way to confront the Weasley's in Flourish and Blotts. Normally he does everything possible to ignore anyone that even so much as talks about the Weasley's. He even picked up the Weasley girl's books when she had tripped and spilled them. Something he would never do in a million years unless he was planning something."

Harry was silent for a few moments as the sorting finished and Dumbledore made his start of term announcements. When Dumbledore finished and started the opening feast and everyone started rambling on about their summers Harry finally spoke.

"I see your concern," Harry said quietly as he loaded his plate with food. "Now not having actually met your father I can't make a completely accurate judgment but I would say he's up to something as well." Harry paused as he took a few bites of food and a drink of pumpkin juice. "My guess would be that he planted something among Weasley's books when he picked them up. Obviously it's nothing good and most likely a Dark artifact of some kind that wouldn't really be noticed. We should keep an eye on her to make sure that she doesn't do any harm to anyone."

"My thoughts exactly," Draco agreed as he took a sip of his own drink. "I'm just so ashamed of him right now."

"I'm sorry Draco," Harry said. He laid a hand on Draco's and squeezed it in sign of support before going back to eating. Draco smiled slightly at Harry show of support before returning to his own meal.

–Scene Break–

The next morning Harry woke in the second year Slytherin dorm room feeling well rested. The bed wasn't nearly as comfortable as the bed he had gotten used to in The Chamber of Secrets but it was adequate enough. It was a few hours before breakfast would even start so Harry just laid there and relaxed. Eventually though he got bored and since he still had the better part of two hours until breakfast he decided to once again delve into wards of the castle.

Harry traveled along the pathways of the wards just as he had earlier in the summer and he soon found himself once again looking at the tattered and torn wards that the Headmaster was in charge of. Seeing the state of the wards again Harry couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. When wards were whole and complete they were a fabulous sight to behold but these wards only inspired sadness and pain.

Ignoring the sad sight Harry focused on the pattern that the tears formed and tried to follow it to the source that was creating the tears. It was an odd pattern, similar to a spiral but different in a way Harry couldn't identify, and it was circling one of the towers. Harry found this odd considering the tower was abandoned.

"Harry?" Draco called giving Harry's shoulder a shake. Harry jerked slightly as he opened his eyes and searched for the source of the disturbance.

"Yeah," Harry said when he realized it was Draco and then his brain caught up with his surroundings. "I'm late aren't I?"

"Not really," Draco said as he sat down on the edge of Harry's bed. "Breakfast doesn't start for another forty five minutes. I was just wondering why you were staring off into nothing and ignoring me when I called your name."

Harry groaned and rolled out of bed to start getting ready. As he dressed he explained what he was doing and why he hadn't answered when Draco had called his name. Luckily the other boys in the dorm had left already so Harry didn't need to worry about anyone over hearing. The two boys continued their conversation as they made their way out of the dungeons and towards The Great Hall. Unfortunately their conversation was interrupted when they ran into Dumbledore just outside The Great Hall.

"Harry," Dumbledore said without his usual cheery attitude. "I'd like to have a word with you in my office."

"Did I do something wrong Headmaster?" Harry asked not moving an inch when Dumbledore indicated for Harry to follow him. Beside Harry Draco stood stiff in anger.

"I merely wish to have a word with you Harry," Dumbledore said sternly. "Now come with me to my office."

"Did I break a school rule Headmaster?" Harry asked still not moving. He could sense the anger and annoyance coming from the aged man.

"No Harry. Like I said I merely wish to talk." Dumbledore said turning back to face Harry.

"Is it school related?" Harry asked as he discreetly placed a hand on Draco's arm to try and calm him down.

"Again Harry I merely wish to speak with you," Dumbledore said with tightly controlled anger. "Now please come with me to my office."

"Well if you have nothing school related to talk about then I think some breakfast is in order," Harry said cheerfully. He started to lead Draco into the Great hall but Dumbledore was faster than he appeared and was suddenly blocking the way into the Great Hall. Now considering it was breakfast time this also prevented other students from entering the hall as well and a crowd began to gather.

"Harry I insist you come with me to my office so we can talk," Dumbledore demanded.

"Headmaster," Harry said with an annoyed sigh. "If you have nothing school related to talk about then we can either talk here or not talk at all and given the fact that I am hungry I choose not at all. Now if you would please move you're blocking everyone from entering the hall." Harry had deliberately brought the growing crowd to Dumbledore's attention in the hopes of getting the old fool to go away but apparently sense was not with the old man at the moment.

"Where were you this summer Harry?" Dumbledore asked but his tone wasn't asking but demanding.

"At home sir," Harry said in a tone that clearly said he thought the question stupid. Beside him Draco had to bite back a chuckle and fought to keep a smile off of his face. "Just like the rest of the students."

"I checked Harry," Dumbledore said with a scowl. "You ran away from your Aunt and Uncle's house just over a year ago."

"I didn't say I went to _their_ house," Harry said laying heavy disgust upon the word he used to refer to those muggles. "I said I was at home and before you ask no I'm not going to tell you."

"Harry you have no idea what you've done," Dumbledore said in what Harry knew to be genuine concern. Not concern for Harry but for his web of lies that upheld his image. "The blood w–"

"DO NOT LECTURE ME ABOUT WARDS!" Harry yelled suddenly furious. "You have no right to lecture me about wards Albus Dumbledore! Further more you know damn well that there is not one single drop of blood in common between me and those wretched creatures!" Harry's fury was so great that the wards he was tied to started to become visible. They lined the walls, turning them green and silver. The castle even started to groan as if it too were growing angry.

"Stupefy!" Dumbledore cried in fear. He apparently forgot both himself and the fact that they had an audience.

Focused as he was on the Headmaster Harry saw the attack coming. Instead of going for his wand he used a trick he had learned from one of Salazar's many books on mind magic. Without moving a muscle he deflected the curse wide and high so it wouldn't hit one of the other students. He then held out his hand and the Headmaster's wand went flying out of his aged hand and straight into Harry's. Dumbledore, having not expected such a counter, didn't have a chance to stop his wand from leaving his hand.

The instant the wood touched his hand Harry felt an influx of major power. Turning his attention from the now dumbfounded and disarmed Headmaster Harry examined the wand. Harry knew that no two wands were exactly the same but this one was unique even among wands. The runes etched into the wand that marked the handle were particularly interesting.

"Harry," Dumbledore said nervously. "Give me back my wand."

"But it isn't really yours now is it?" Harry asked as he continued to examine the runes. He managed to translate two of them: Elder and Death. Suddenly it clicked in Harry's brain why this wand would generate such magic when wands were only supposed to channel magic despite their semi-sentient nature. "Keeping more secrets than you let on I see," Harry looked up at Dumbledore with a raised eyebrow.

"Harry," Dumbledore started but Harry cut him off.

"I suggest you leave Headmaster," Harry said as he stowed the wand into one of his inside robe pockets. That was when he noticed the intense pain radiating from his chest but he did his best to keep a straight face. It wouldn't do for Dumbledore to find out about his weakened condition. "Before you make an even bigger fool of yourself," Here he gestured at the amazed and dumbfounded crowd of students and professors alike.

Dumbledore looked at the crowd and seemed to realize for the first time that they were there. Gathering what was left of his shattered dignity and his now tarnished image of ultimate goodness, Dumbledore walked away. The stunned crowd parted instantly for the aged man as they watched him walk away; beaten, by a twelve year old.

"Get me to a seat!" Harry whispered urgently to Draco. He started clutching his chest and breathing heavily. His heart rate had returned to normal once Dumbledore had been disarmed but it was obvious that the artery had torn again. "And get Severus and Madame Pomfrey immediately."

Draco snapped out of his own dumbfounded state and immediately realized what was happening. He quickly stowed away his wand, which he had drawn when Dumbledore had attacked, and started helping Harry towards the Slytherin table. Severus, who had seen the entire interaction from the entrance to the dungeons, saw Draco supporting Harry and instantly started pushing through the crowd and was at their side just as Harry sat down on the Slytherin bench.

"Go fetch Pomfrey," Severus ordered Draco, who immediately ran off, as he pulled out potions from within his pockets. They were the same ones that Poppy gave to Harry when his artery had first torn. Severus kept them on hand just in case it tore again. "Drink," He told Harry as handed him one of the potions. Harry obediently downed the potion and felt the burning pain in his chest recede. "It was very foolish of you to confront the Headmaster like that."

"I was hardly the one doing the confronting," Harry argued as he downed another potion. "I just didn't want to be isolated with the man when the fireworks started. Lord knows what the man would've tried with no one else watching."

"Yes things probably would have been much worse," Severus agreed as he stepped aside to let Madame Pomfrey start casting her spells. "However that doesn't mean you should have lost control like that. You need to keep your heart rate low until that artery is healed."

"I know I know," Harry said looking ashamed. "He just hit a really sore point. I'll do my best not to let it happen again."

"See that you don't," Madame Pomfrey interjected with a stern scowl at Harry. "You, young man, are extremely lucky. This recent tear was very minor and thanks to Professor Snape the potions administered so quickly did wonders. I've repaired what the potions didn't but your recovery will be set back about a month. If this happens again mister I will strap you down to a bed until that artery is completely healed. Do you understand?"

"Yes Madame Pomfrey," Harry said with a half smile at the mediwitch. Pomfrey gave a little smile back before leaving the Great Hall with a parting, "Don't you dare skip breakfast,"

Harry couldn't help but smile slightly at the over protective witch. He thanked Severus for his help as well. The man gave a curt nod before walking up to the Head Table to eat his own breakfast. Harry chuckled at Severus' casual dismissal of gratitude and turned around and started to load his plate with food, ignoring the whispers and stares.

"Are you alright?" Draco asked quietly as he settled down next to Harry.

"Yeah," Harry said with a nod. "I just can't blow up like that again. I shouldn't have blown up in the first place." Harry said truly ashamed of his actions. "However my slip in control bore unexpected fruit."

"How so?" Draco asked in confusion. "The only thing you got out of that conversation was humiliating Dumbledore and his wand."

"I'll explain later when there aren't as many ears around," Harry said quietly. "Besides Hermione will want to hear about it too. No doubt she's already hearing about what happened."

True enough it wasn't even two minutes after Harry and Draco had finished eating their breakfast and had barely started walking towards the exit for their first class of the day when they were cornered by a flustered Hermione, asking questions. Harry just smiled and pulled her alongside him and continued walking to their class. The three of them usually had the same classes together but he asked just to make sure. As they walked Harry explained what happened outside the Great Hall to Hermione since she wasn't there. When they reached their classroom, charms, they all sat down and Harry made sure the wards were guarding their conversation.

"So what is this unexpected fruit you were talking about at breakfast?" Draco asked quietly despite the wards.

"This," Harry said pulling out Dumbledore's, now his, wand.

"It's a wand, so what?" Draco asked once again confused.

"It's not just A wand Draco," Harry said as he twirled the wand in his fingers. "Do you remember the book of wizarding fairy tales you sent me over the summer?" Draco nodded knowing that Harry wouldn't make some random segue and that the question was related. "Do you remember the Tale of the Three Brothers?" Harry asked as he pulled out the book and handed it to Hermione who was growing increasingly annoyed and curious at the same time. He had brought the book along to read during a break in classes. At Draco's nod he continued, "Look at these two runes. They're the only ones I could translate but they're enough to convince me."

Draco looked at the runes and it took him a few moments but eventually he managed to decipher them and his face grew pale. "It can't be,"

"If it is it would explain why he seems to be so powerful," Harry reasoned quickly. The room was starting to fill up and class would be starting soon. "And without it Dumbledore is nothing more than an above average wizard with an exceptional knowledge base of magic and spells and of course a manipulative bastard."

"Can I see the runes you're talking about Harry?" Hermione asked as she handed the book back to Harry for him to stow in his back. Harry handed her the wand to look at. After a few minutes she handed it back. "I admit Harry I'm a little skeptical but those runes are hard to argue with. At the very least it was made to make people believe it's supposed to be the wand from the story."

Harry was about to respond but Professor Flitwick brought stood up in front of the class and started the lesson.


	8. Chapter 8: Abuse and Blood

**Disclaimer: **The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me

**A/N: **Ok everyone here's the new chapter everyone I hope you enjoy it.

**Warning: **There will be implications of child molestation in this chapter. Nothing and descriptive and no details. It's just there as a suggestion but if any of you guys don't like stuff like that don't read the section between the third and fourth scene break. Like I said there is nothing explicit about the child molestation it's just there as a suggestion. I hope I don't put any of my fabulous readers off of my stories because of this. Just know that I don't plan on anything like this beyond this chapter. Now that being said I hope you all enjoy the update.

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><p>CHAPTER FOUR: ABUSE AND BLOOD<p>

Harry and Draco were sitting at their desk quietly conversing while silently dreading the class they were waiting for. They had both read the required material for the class and neither of them were impressed. The only thing they learned from the books was that the author, one Gilderoy Lockhart, and their teacher for the year was a pompous farce and his books were more than likely works of fiction. Their opinion was only cemented by the fact that Harry had the misfortune of encountering the fool in Diagon Alley when Harry was purchasing his books. The man cared more about getting fame and fortune and how he looked than he did anything else.

Suddenly Lockhart came out of his office. He started rambling on about his own supposed qualifications and how he was their new DADA teacher. Then after going on about how it was his job to prepare them against the darkest creatures known to wizard-kind. Harry and Draco just rolled their eyes, both wondering if the fool had even encountered so much as an over sized spider dangling from the ceiling.

"This has nothing to do with defense!" Harry whispered as quietly as possible while still being heard by Draco. They had just been handed a quiz "I know Dumbledore has lost it, more so lately than usual, but how could he hire a man who wouldn't know a wand from a stick."

"My question is how did the fool become such a renowned wizard?" Draco said as he shook his head at the ridiculous quiz.

"I have no idea," Harry said as he dug around in his bag. He brought out his quill and ink but he kept digging. When he found what he was looking for he straightened in his seat with a vicious smile on his face. "But perhaps we can give him a bit of a challenge."

"How?" Draco asked a little warily as he eyed the potions vial and paint brush Harry had placed on the desk. He watched as Harry quickly filled out random answers to the questions.

"Well I had to find some way to entertain myself over the summer and studying and brewing potions took up the most time," Harry explained as he dipped the paint brush into the potion. "I had intended to use this on Dumbledore at dinner tonight but I think it'll be better suited for our resident moron."

"What does it do?" Draco asked curiously as he quickly answered the questions on his own quiz, not really paying attention to what he was putting down.

"You'll see," Harry said with a smile. He picked up his paper by the tiny corner he had left uncoated by the potion and went up to hand it in. Harry gave the paper over to Lockhart with a happy smile on his face.

On his way back to his seat Harry caught a glimpse of movement off to the side of the room, when he looked though nothing was there just a few empty jars and some books. Narrowing his eyes in suspicion he continued to his seat and sat back down.

"So, how long until it takes effect?" Draco asked when he too returned to his seat from handing in his supposed quiz.

"Any minute now," Harry said glancing at his watch. "It takes a little longer when absorbed through the skin but only by a minute or two.

Even as Harry spoke the potion started taking effect. Lockhart's hair started standing on end and it wasn't long until each strand of curly blond hair was standing straight in the air. That wasn't the only effect though. The hair turned into a very dull dirty blond and looked very plain. Lockhart's skin and teeth all turned so dull it almost looked grey. But what took the prize was when his hair started braiding itself and then started doing loops until it formed a single word; useless. It wasn't easy but the hair managed and soon Lockhart looked dull and ridiculous.

"There's actually a potion designed to do that?" Draco asked as he tried to stifle his laughs just like the rest of the class as they all noticed what had happened.

"No," Harry said through his own laughs. "It is simply designed change a person's appearance but it's also keyed to the brewer's intent when they administer the potion."

It wasn't long before the entire class was trying to hide their mirth while Lockhart remained blissfully ignorant of everything. Unfortunately it all came to an end when Kane suddenly appeared next to Harry and tackled both Harry and Draco to the ground just in time to get out of the way of the falling dragon skeleton. The minute Harry and Draco hit the floor Kane vanished, returning to his position as a tattoo.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked as he detangled himself from his friend and stood up, helping Draco in the process.

"Yeah," Draco answered as he straightened his robes. "I just want to know how the hell that thing fell. There has to be at least half a dozen spells on the suspensions to make sure it doesn't fall."

_I sense the same elf magic from the carriage the other day. _Orpheus whispered in Harry's mind. _Whatever House elf messed with the carriage messed with the skeleton._

_Thank you, _Harry responded. _And thank you Kane._

_You are welcome,_ Kane said with a mental shrug, as if he hadn't just saved two lives.

"Dear me," Lockhart said getting up from his desk and rushing over. "What happened here?"

Before anyone could answer the rattling cage on Lockhart's desk that was covered with a red cloth suddenly fell over. The cloth fell off and the cage door fell open. Over a dozen Cornish Pixies stormed the room causing havoc. They ripped books off the shelves, tipped ink wells, broke quills, and even stole Lockhart's wand when the fool attempted to stop the pixies.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Draco demanded as he swatted away a pixie that was trying to pull off his tie.

"It's that house elf that messed with our carriage the other day," Harry said as he fought for his glasses with a particularly strong pixie. "Oh that's it," Harry said in aggravation. He released his glasses and pulled out his wand, making sure to grab his holly wand and not the Elder Wand. "Immobulus!" He shouted as he thrust his wand in the air at the pixies. Instantly a wave of energy crashed over the room and all the Cornish Pixies froze in the air. "Wretched little nuisances."

"What the hell is this elf trying to do, kill us?" Draco asked heatedly in a whisper so only Harry could hear as he tried to pull their things out from under the fallen bone structure.

"Doubtful," Harry said as he levitated Neville down from the chandelier. The idiot Lockhart had run off the minute the pixies stole his wand, not that Harry would trust the man with such a task.

"Th-thanks," Neville stuttered slightly but not as much as he usually did.

"You're more than welcome Neville," Harry said with a smile. He helped Neville pick up his things before turning to Draco and helping him. "Anyways," Harry said picking up the conversation with Draco where he left off. "There are far more efficient ways to kill us if this elf wanted to. It seems more like it's trying to scare us more than anything else."

"But why?" Draco asked as he struggled to pull his bag out from under a rib bone. "To get us to leave Hogwarts or something?"

"Right now that seems the most likely conclusion," Harry said lifting the rib bone so Draco could get at both of their bags. "Though why a house elf would want to scare us into leaving Hogwarts is still a mystery."

Harry and Draco finished gathering their things and walked out of the classroom. Lockhart had yet to come out of his office but neither of them really cared. For one class was more than likely dismissed for the day and for two they weren't about to learn anything from that moron.

–Scene Break–

Dumbledore sat behind his desk in a state of shock. Never in his hundred and ten years of life had he lost control like he had that morning. The only other time he had done something like that was last year during Christmas break. But that was only in front Severus and Harry and both had easily kept silent without prompting. This was different though. He had confronted Harry in front of the entire school and had openly attacked him, a twelve year old student. What was worse was that he had his ass handed to him by said twelve year old student. And to top it off he had lost the Elder Wand in the process.

Now it belonged in the hands of an apparently well informed Harry Potter. Clearly Dumbledore would have to rethink the way he handled Harry Potter. The boy had much more of his mother's stubbornness than he had anticipated but even she had not been like this. Both of Harry's parents had always respected authority figures but Harry seemed entirely distrustful and rebelled against anyone in a position of power over him. Dumbledore would have to tread very carefully around Harry from now on. Now that he wielded the Elder Wand he would be much more powerful if he ever managed to master more dangerous spells and decided to wield them against him. Dumbledore just hoped that the fool Lockhart would keep Harry from learning too many offensive spells.

Dumbledore had a sudden flash of a young Tom Riddle cross his mind. Harry was scarily similar to Tom. They were both in Slytherin, they were both exceptionally bright, they both had a problem with authority figures, they gathered followers easily, and they even looked similar. The only difference that Dumbledore could find was that Harry didn't have a penchant for cruelty they way Tom did. But that could easily change if something went wrong. Dumbledore began to grow afraid. He needed to find a way to make the boy heal. He also needed to find away to reduce the damage done to his image. However that had now grown very complicated.

Dumbledore had been an above average wizard to begin with but it was the Elder Wand that had brought him the fame of one of the most powerful wizards in existence. Without it his image would begin to slip and that was if it managed to survive the severe damage that would be done by this morning's events. He would have to do something to try and mitigate the damage or try and suppress all together. Bringing a piece of paper and quill towards him he began writing a letter to the editor of the _Daily Prophet_. The man owed him a favor and hopefully he would agree not to print anything pertaining to this morning's incident. He couldn't stop the students from writing home about what happened but he could at least try and prevent the entire Wizarding World from knowing about it.

–Scene Break–

Harry was woken from a sound sleep by someone nudging his shoulder. He tried to ignore it but the nudging persisted. Finally he rolled over and opened his eyes to see who was bugging him. Much to his surprise Harry came face to face with a wet whiskered nose of a lions face.

"Follow me," Kane whispered quietly before Harry could say anything.

As curious as he was about Kane's mysterious behavior Harry really didn't want to get out of bed. However his sleep fogged brain realized two things: one Kane would just keep bugging him if he tried to go back to sleep and two, Kane wouldn't have bothered him in the middle of the night if it wasn't important. Sighing in resignation Harry slipped out of his nice warm covers, grabbed his house coat to keep warm, slipped on his boots since he didn't have any slippers (thankfully he had gone to bed with socks on), and followed after Kane.

The lion led Harry through the hidden passage that connected the Slytherin dorms to the network of passages that littered the castle. They grew farther and farther away from the dungeons until Harry guessed that they were somewhere on the other side of the castle near the Headmaster's office. Growing even more curious as to why Kane would be leading him here Harry continued to follow Kane until the lion turned to face him and sat down in front of an aged wooden door.

"Your defiance of Dumbledore earlier today showed that you have more bravery in you than you originally showed. Being sneaky and having your plans work out is one thing but openly defying someone, especially a superior, takes great bravery." Kane said in a tone that sounded ceremonial. "Also in light of your current defense teacher I believe that Godric would approve of me showing you this."

Kane stepped aside and indicated for Harry to open the door. Harry hesitated briefly out of uncertainty before he realized what Kane must be showing him. Stepping forward Harry wrapped his hand around the door knob and opened the door and walked inside. The minute he crossed the threshold Harry felt wards reacting to his presence. A few minutes passed before the wards calmed down and tied themselves to Harry as their caregiver.

Once the wards accepted him Harry was allowed to take in the room he had entered. Considering he had just entered Godric Gryffindor's personal chambers Harry had expected a color scheme of red and gold. Instead he found a nicely furnished room with burgundy furniture, a nice large hearth, tan walls, dark red pillows on the couch and chairs. The room was obviously meant to be a family room as it was designed and arranged for comfort.

"Wow," Harry said as he gazed around the room.

"There is more," Kane said as he padded across the room towards a hallway Harry had glanced over.

Harry followed Kane down the hall past several doors until they came to a set of double doors at the end of the hall. Harry pushed open the doors and proceeded to fight unconsciousness. He had just entered what was quite possibly the largest library he had ever seen. Even the library in the Chamber of Secrets paled next to this library.

"When he was alive," Kane started explaining. "Godric hunted down and gathered every book he could find on defensive and offensive magic. Towards the end of his life Godric cast a spell upon the library to make it expand and automatically obtain a copy of any new book published on defense and offense. You will find any book you desire to help you learn about your Defense Against the Dark Arts subject."

"This," Harry said as he gazed this way and that at the thousands of bookshelves that filled the room all the way to the ceiling. "This is absolutely amazing. Thank you for showing me this Kane."

"You are welcome," Kane said with a slight bow of his head. "I figured that with a lock of teacher and Dumbledore gunning for you that you would need some assistance. However simply reading a book about combat magic will not make you an expert. That is why two doors down you will find a sparing room, complete with dummies to practice offensive spells on. You can practice defensive spells as well but those would be better practiced with someone firing spells back at you."

"Oh I'm sure I can find someone to fill that position," Harry said distractedly. He had already started wandering through the shelves and begun flipping through some books. Kane just smiled and left the library to go lay down in front of the fireplace.

Harry barely registered the fact that Kane left the room. He had already become absorbed in a book on defensive magic such as shields and such. As he read he could practically feel his wand vibrating with anticipation in his pocket. He had nabbed his wand from under his pillow where he kept it when he slept as he left the Slytherin dorms. Ever since school had started back up and he started practicing magic again his wand had been giving off a feeling of what Harry could only describe as excitement. Harry honestly couldn't blame it though. Two and a half months of being in a magic rich environment and performing passive magic like potions making and not being able to do any real magic was practically torture. Now that they were allowed to do magic again both Harry and his wand were eager to learn more spells.

The hours began to dwindle by as Harry continued to read about defensive magic. Harry found such magic truly fascinating. The prospect of creating a barrier solely out of energy to block objects or incoming spells was simply amazing, especially to someone who had lived where such things were forbidden to even think about. Then there were the spells specifically designed to repel or banish certain types of creatures and counter curses as well as the curses themselves. These weren't simple generic spells that dealt with elements or effected the environment. These spells were engineered for a specific purpose.

"You know," Kane suddenly spoke startling Harry out of his silent world of the written word. "If you want to get to breakfast on time you should probably go back to the Slytherin dorms and get ready for school."

"What?" Harry said still wrapped up in the book he had been reading. He looked up at the distant window that was high up in rafters of the library. Faint sunlight of the early morning hours was shining through the window lighting up the beams that supported the ceiling. "Oh crap!"

Harry closed the book he had been reading and set it down on the table next to his chair. He quickly dashed from the room running through a shower of red and gold sparks on his way. Harry rushed through the halls of the passageways as fast as he could without raising his heart rate at a reasonable level. Due to the directness of the passageways Harry was able to reach the Slytherin dorms with an hour left to spare before breakfast started.

"There you are!" Draco said when Harry entered the dorm room to change.

"Lunch," Harry said simply as he held up a hand to forestall Draco's barrage of questions that Harry expected from his protective friend. "I'll explain at lunch. I've no wish to make multiple explanations and it's obvious that I didn't get much sleep last night so please wait until lunch."

Draco stared at his best friend as he rushed about trying to get ready. He realized that Harry was truly flustered which wasn't like him. "Ok," He said taking a seat on his trunk to wait as Harry went to shower and get ready for the school day.

–Scene Break–

Once Harry and Draco had made it to breakfast, peacefully and without any confrontations from meddling Headmasters, Harry had finally calmed down and didn't feel so rushed. That was one thing about himself that he realized last year; he hated being late. It drove him nuts and made him feel off for the rest of the day. Thankfully, though that didn't happen today and he was able to relax and deal with school most of the day.

Unfortunately because he had been up most of the night he was very tired and couldn't concentrate on anything for any length of time. He had even dozed off a few times during breakfast and Draco had been forced to nudge him a few times to keep him from falling face first into his food. However they had history of magic first thing so Harry was gratefully able to take a nap along with the other students that always succumbed to the dull tones of Professor Binns that put everyone except a select few to sleep.

During lunch Harry showed both Draco and Hermione the massive library Kane had showed him last night. Both of them had instantly become fascinated with the many books and were happy that they had away to learn defense since their teacher was completely inept.

After lunch the rest of the day passed peacefully. Harry, Draco, and Hermione attended their classes, after Harry had to forcefully remove them from the library in Godric's chambers. Dumbledore had apparently holed himself up in his office and didn't appear to be coming out any time soon since he hadn't been seen once that day and was absent from breakfast, lunch, AND dinner. Harry didn't put much thought into it though. He figured the fool was trying to figure out a way to make Harry his little slave and how to keep the public from discovering what had happened yesterday. The man had already found away to keep the news from spreading to the papers since Harry had yet to see anything in either the morning edition or the evening edition of the _Daily Prophet _about what had happened.

Harry wasn't too concerned about it though. He had the wards monitoring the old man's movements and he knew they would alert him should he try and lay any traps in the school for when Harry would be on his own.

Right now Harry was concerning himself with the book on defensive spells he was currently reading in the library of Godric's rooms. It was eight at night, dinner was over and Harry, Draco, and Hermione were all sitting in the library studying a different book on defense since they had all finished their homework for their other classes except for potions. They each had to write a twenty four inch essay about the uses of puffer fish parts in potions and the care that should be taken when handling them. This had been assigned due to the fact that Goyle had received an eyeful of the stuff during class and had to be taken to the hospital wing to have his eyes reduced to normal. At the moment Harry had been the only one to complete the essay without any trouble and without so much as even looking at his book.

In the middle of his reading Harry paused and looked up. The wards had alerted him to something going on elsewhere in the school but it wasn't something to do with Dumbledore. It had to do with a student. The wards were designed to not only guard the castle from exterior attacks but they were also designed to protect the students from any danger that might come from within as well. Humans were just that; human. They make errors all the time and the most common is an error in judgment and that could easily lead to someone a little less savory entering the castle. A prime example of this would be Quirrell.

Harry delved a little deeper into the wards to find out exactly what was going on. He didn't like what he found. He tossed his book aside and dashed from the room. As absorbed as they were in their books both Draco and Hermione managed to notice Harry's actions. Unfortunately Harry had already vanished by the time they looked up and they were forced to chase after him. They just barely managed to keep Harry in sight as he dashed through the corridors of the secret passageways. They tried calling out his name but he just ignored them and focused on getting to his destination as fast as possible.

In less than two minutes Harry managed to reach the bathroom on the ground floor near the entrance hall. It wasn't curfew yet so he needn't fear getting busted for being out of hours. He rushed to the bathroom doors and pulled but they refused to move. Narrowing his eyes and growling in annoyance Harry reached into his robe pocket for his wand. He wasn't paying attention though and didn't realize that the wand he was pulling out had actually leaped into his hand. Harry pointed the wand at the door and before he could speak the incantation for the unlocking spell the wand preformed the magic for him and the door clicked open and Harry rushed inside, only to suppress his stomach.

Expected or not seeing a grown man molesting a child was not something anyone wanted to see. Not wasting any time Harry pointed his wand at Lockhart and sent the man flying into the wall and pinned him there with chains that stretched tightly to keep him immobile. Harry then had the wards surround Lockhart to prevent him from using any magic to escape or from someone he didn't approve of from releasing him. After making sure Lockhart was secure Harry went to tend to the shaking student who had moved into the corner of the room and was trying to make himself as small as possible. When he got close enough Harry realized that it was Neville.

"Neville," Harry said as quietly as possible so as to not scare the child further. Harry knew from personal experience that any loud noises immediately after an abusive experience would only serve to frighten even more. When Neville didn't immediately respond to his name Harry figured the boy was in shock. "Neville can you nod if you can understand me?" Harry smiled when he got a hesitant nod in return. Harry looked back to see his two friends staring mortified at the scene before them. They had come in just as Harry had opened the door to the bathroom door. Harry turned back to Neville and gently held out his hand. "Neville, can you take my hand? We're just going to go somewhere safe and get some help ok?" Neville just sat there staring at Harry's outstretched hand for several long minutes before he hesitantly lifted his shaking hand and placed it in Harry's hand. Harry smiled gently and helped Neville to his feet. As they walked past Draco and Hermione, Harry paused and whispered to both of them so Neville wouldn't hear, "Severus will be along shortly. Until then no one touches that… _thing._"

Harry then wrapped an arm around a still shaking Neville and led him out of the room. Since it was now eight thirty Harry wasn't expecting to encounter anyone in the halls but he decided to take the hidden passageways just in case. The silence and dim light of the empty corridors seemed to have a calming effect on Neville because he soon calmed down enough to stop shaking.

"H-h-h-harry?" Neville stuttered quietly as they kept walking.

"Yes Neville?" Harry asked quietly so as to not frighten Neville.

"W-w-w-where a-a-are w-we?" Neville asked as he looked around the hall they were in. They were approaching a stone door and he stared at it in both curiosity and nervousness.

"We're in a secret passageway at Hogwarts," Harry informed Neville as he pushed open the door and led Neville into Severus' empty private quarters. Normally the emergency passageways that led to every room in the castle outside of bathrooms and bedrooms didn't trigger any wards of any kind, whether they are the castle's main wards or someone's personal wards around their room, but this time Harry made sure that Severus' wards went off as they entered. He led Neville over to a chair and sat him down. "Now I know you're just coming out of shock but I need to know, do you remember what just happened?" Neville didn't do or say anything for a moment other than wrapping his arms around himself. After a few minutes he nodded hesitantly with his eyes closed. "Do you want to tell me what happened?" When Neville just sat there staring Harry added, "It's ok Neville. I understand. You tell me when you're ready." Harry then snapped his fingers to summon a house elf. "Please bring us some hot chocolate and white chocolate chip cookies."

"Yes Master Harry," The elf squeaked before popping away.

"How can you?" Neville suddenly asked as Harry pulled a chair closer to Neville and sat down.

"How can I what?" Harry asked genuinely not understanding the question.

"How can you understand?" Neville elaborated after the house elf left the room leaving a plate of cookies and two cups of steaming hot coco.

"Well," Harry said uncertainly as he grabbed a cookie and one of the cups of coco. "I can't understand your exact circumstances but I do understand abuse. I was abused for ten years until I ran away when I got my Hogwarts letter."

"I'm sorry," Neville said as he lowered his arms to rest in his lap. He still had yet to reach for the other cup of coco or the cookies.

"Doesn't really matter anymore," Harry said with an indifferent shrug. "Knowing they weren't really family helps to get over it a little and knowing that I never have to see them again helps too."

Silence settled in between the two after that. Neville seemed to calm down even more and he eventually lean forward and stole a cookie off the plate and took the cup of hot coco. The warm liquid seemed to calm Neville down even more for he soon started speaking again.

"I," He hesitated briefly before gathering the courage to continue. "I was heading in from the greenhouses. Madame Sprout, she lets me work with her on the plants since it's the one subject I excel the most at. Since it had gotten so late I needed to go back to the tower so I was headed inside when I went into the bathroom to wash my hands since they had gotten really dirty," Neville paused to take a bite of his cookie and drink his coco. "W-w-w-when I turned around to leave h-h-h-he w-w-was there. At first I thought h-h-he was there to check on who was using the bathroom on the main floor so close to curfew but then… then he…"

"It's ok Neville," Harry said leaning forward in his seat. "You don't need to explain this part to me."

"I, however, would like an explanation as to what is going on," A voice Harry recognized as Severus' came from the doorway. He had just opened his door and had only heard what Harry had said. His voice was neutral and calm but only Harry was able to tell. Neville, after hearing that voice snarling and snapping at him in potions class, startled badly and started shaking again.

"Neville," Harry said gently. He held up a hand to ask Severus for some patience. "Neville look at me," Harry was gentle and he laid a hand on Neville's to show his support. He smiled gently when Neville looked at him. "He's here to help and he's not going to hurt you. I will talk to him ok? You can just sit here and relax and drink your coco ok?"

Neville stared at Harry for several minutes before nodding hesitatingly. Harry gave a reassuring nod back before getting out of his chair and indicating for Severus to follow him to the other side of the room. When they were out of Neville's earshot Harry proceeded to explain what had transpired within the last half hour. As Harry spoke Severus' face became increasingly stone like but Harry could see the righteous fire burning within the man's eyes. When Harry finished his tale Severus stalked from the room to tend to Lockhart. As he left Harry noticed the sympathetic glance that Severus spared for Neville on the way out. Harry smiled at the complicated man and went back to Neville to distract him.

–Scene Break–

Draco and Hermione were silently standing watch over a struggling Lockhart. When Harry had flung him into the wall Lockhart had fallen unconscious but a few minutes after Harry had left he had woken up and proceeded to struggle against his bindings. When he failed to get free on his own he had tried to persuade Draco and Hermione to release him, even going so far as to try and charm Hermione into doing as he asked. However seeing the man molest a twelve year old boy had ruined any fantasy image she might have held and she simply ignored him. Unfortunately this provoked Lockhart into yelling and demanding to be released and after a while his voice became annoying so Hermione cast a silencing spell on the beast.

The two friends didn't talk as they stood guard. What was there to say? They were standing watch over a child molester to make sure he didn't escape or that anyone set him free. Wasn't exactly fertile ground for conversation was it? Instead they stood silently side by side between Lockhart and the door leaning against the sinks waiting. Occasionally one or both of them would start pacing just to keep their muscles from stiffening. It was during one of these pacing bouts that they heard footsteps approaching and from the rushed pace and angry tone of the footsteps they both concluded it was Professor Snape. And indeed it was. Professor Snape came storming into the bathroom only to stop and stare at Lockhart on the wall. The two locked eyes and Draco and Hermione both assumed that Snape was ravaging Lockhart's mind for confirmation of what happened and they both knew that no one would ever know that he did it either. Snape was far too sneaky for that.

"You two," Snape said suddenly directing his attention to Hermione and Draco. "Who conjured the chains? I know Harry set the wards but the chains are far more advanced magic for a second year to perform."

"It was Harry Professor," Draco explained. "We caught up with Harry just as he was entering the bathroom and saw the whole thing. We were surprised by the advanced magic but I assume he did extra studying over the summer." Draco didn't know whether or not Severus should be informed about the Elder Wand and its powers so he decided to try and avoid the subject as much as possible until he could discuss it with Harry.

Severus approached the chained man and began examining the chains. Each link was extraordinarily detailed for magic preformed by a second year. And on each link were two runes that were exactly the same and meant the same thing; to bind. Not entirely sure how Harry had managed to conjure such chains Severus turned from the despicable creature hanging from the wall and back to Draco and Hermione.

"Miss Granger," Severus said directing his gaze to Hermione. "Go and fetch Professor McGonagall. If Filch or a Prefect tries to stop you direct them to me."

"Yes Professor," Hermione said and dashed off to do as she was told.

"Draco," Severus said turning to Draco. "As much as I loath to have you do so, go and fetch the Headmaster. This is… regrettably a situation that must involve him as he is the Headmaster of this school."

"Yes Uncle Sev," Draco said and turned to do as he was asked.

"And Draco," Severus called after him causing Draco to turn back around. "Make sure to keep your shields up and tight when you're around him. We don't want him stealing secrets he has no business knowing." Draco nodded and walked off.

Severus turned from the bathroom entrance to face Lockhart and eyed the man with loathing and disgust. During his Death Eater days Severus had encountered all forms of vial and cruel people but there were none that disgusted him more than child molesters. In Severus' eyes children were off limits in every way. They were too pure and innocent to violate in such a manner. Next on the rung were those who tortured children. Severus couldn't stand either of them and he took every chance he could find to eradicate each and every one of them. During the first war dozens and dozens of Death Eaters had suffered extremely painful deaths that couldn't be traced to anyone.

"Severus," The voice of Minerva McGonagall called from the entrance. "What's going on? Ms. Granger was a little vague on the details, which is rather unusual for her."

"I apologize, Professor," Hermione said coming out from behind McGonagall to stand between the two teachers. She steadfastly refused to look at the creature pinned to the wall. "I'm a little out of whack this evening."

"It appears," Severus cut in before McGonagall could respond. "That Granger here along with Mr. Malfoy and Potter stumbled upon this," Severus gestured at Lockhart, who was moving his mouth in speech. Apparently he had yet to realize that no one could hear him. "Molesting a student and apparently rescued said student by doing this."

"Are you certain of this?" An ancient voice said from behind a stunned McGonagall. Severus looked beyond the woman to see a sour looking Draco standing to the side of Dumbledore.

"I see no reason to doubt their story," Severus answered. "Granger is known for her affiliation of the truth and respect for authority, she wouldn't lie to a teacher about something like this. I have known Mr. Malfoy for years and he too would not lie about something like this. As for Potter I see no reason why he would make something like this up. Also the student in question showed signs of recent trauma in accordance with molestation."

"Who is the student?" McGonagall asked as she came out of her stupor. She had known Lockhart was a fraud but she had never suspected that the man was a pedophile.

"I doubt this child wishes the entire student body to know what has happened so I trust no one will say a word to anyone who doesn't need to know," Severus said seriously glancing between McGonagall and Dumbledore. Draco and Hermione had migrated off to the side to watch the proceedings but Severus knew those two wouldn't say anything.

"Of course Severus," McGonagall said as if that should have been obvious. Dumbledore merely nodded. Severus eyed him warily but recognized that he wouldn't be getting any solid promises out of the man.

"It was Longbottom," Severus said looking directly at McGonagall.

"WHAT!" McGonagall screeched when the name registered in her brain. Both Draco and Hermione were forced to rub their ears in an attempt to get rid of the ringing. "It was one of my students! And Longbottom to boot! Albus I want this man arrested immediately!"

"Now Minerva," Albus said in a soothing tone. "We can hardly arrest someone without any proof."

"On the contrary," A new voice suddenly spoke up. Everyone in the room turned to see a scowling and dangerous looking Harry Potter standing in the doorway. Despite his small size he didn't look like a twelve year old Harry. Instead he looked like a fully grown and very angry and very powerful wizard. He looked how he felt most of the time; old. And his scowl only served to make him look like a fierce warrior. "Either you contact the Aurors, _now_, Headmaster, or that… _thing_ will remain hanging there until he starves to death. You see Headmaster," Harry continued before anyone could say anything against him. He actually cut Dumbledore off just as he was about to say something. "Child molestation is an extremely serious offense in the Wizarding World. Depending on the extent and duration of the molestation and the number of offenses a pedophile could serve life in Azkaban or worse. I can also assure you that should you refuse to alert the proper authorities, as is your duty," Here Harry enunciated each word carefully while glaring Dumbledore straight in the eye. "Nothing and no one will be able to come within a two foot radius of that… monstrosity. Furthermore, should anyone bypass that measure, those chains have more than binding runes on them so any magical or physical attempt to remove them by anyone other than me or someone I approve of will be met by… opposition."

"You appear to be… informed," Dumbledore said suspiciously as he watched Harry walk further into the room.

"Sleeping," Harry said in answer to Severus' questioning look. He then turned back to Dumbledore. "You'd be surprised what you can learn if you simply take the time to read. For instance, did you know that if the Headmaster of this school fails to take appropriate measures to protect the students from a danger, confirmed or not, will be immediately dismissed should the danger prove legitimate?"

"Do not threaten me," Dumbledore growled as he narrowed his eyes.

"I'm merely stating a fact Headmaster. Check the bylaws and regulations of Hogwarts' as set up by the founders themselves. The laws have been added too and maybe modified to keep up with the times but I assure you that those laws are still very much in effect." Harry leaned up against a sink and crossed his arms over his chest. He leveled a smug look at Dumbledore. "So what'll it be Headmaster? The Aurors or dismissal?"

Everyone in the room stared silently at Harry's blatant challenge to the Headmaster. No student in the history of Hogwarts had ever challenged a teacher let alone the Headmaster in such a way. The main thing that had everyone stunned into silence was that Harry was completely right. No one paid much attention to such laws since they were irrelevant most of the time but they were indeed there and very much active. The tension in the room grew tighter and tighter as everyone waited for Dumbledore's response. The aged man looked like a gathering thunderstorm. His eyes were narrowed in anger and the air around him seemed to crackle with magic. Fortunately there seemed to be some form of intelligence residing within Dumbledore's mind because after several long and tense minutes he turned and stormed from the bathroom, presumably to summon the Aurors.

"I've said it before Harry," Hermione said as she came to stand next to Harry. "And I'll say it again. You are completely crazy."

"As I said then," Harry said with a chuckle. "Yes I am."

"Mr. Potter," McGonagall said sternly as she stepped forward.

"Yes Professor?" Harry responded in a respectful tone. He truly did not wish to have McGonagall as an enemy and he hoped that his confrontations with Dumbledore didn't turn her against him.

"I do not approve of your methods," She said looking at Harry with a stern face but surprisingly it quickly softened slightly. "However, that being said, I approve of your reasons. Albus is no longer the man I once knew. Whatever the reason for his change it seems to center around you. I suggest you exercise caution when dealing with him."

"I will Professor," Harry said with a small smile.

"Now," McGonagall said turning to face Lockhart and approached to get a better look at the chains. The man had finally given up on trying to charm anyone into freeing him. "Would you care to explain how you managed to perform such advanced magic? These chains would have taken a great deal of concentration and focus to create. Simple chains would be one thing but in such detail and with specific runes embedded into the mettle is magic that even I would struggle with."

"It just kind of happened," Harry said honestly. "Given the ineptitude of that thing as a teacher I've been reading as much as I can on defensive and offensive magic and I found a spell to conjure bindings as well as an alteration to the spell to add runes to the bindings to make them stronger. I hadn't practiced the spell before but when I found him it was the first spell that popped into my head."

"And you achieved perfection on your first casting?" Severus asked skeptically. Despite having spent the summer around the boy and learning that Harry was extraordinarily bright and had developed a knack for potions Severus doubted that he would have achieved such magic without any prior practice.

"Yes," Harry said calmly. Harry had done a little research on the Elder Wand and had found that it held a very bloody history and he wanted to keep the list of those who knew as short as possible. If it came down to it he would tell Severus, he just wasn't prepared to do so at the moment.

"It has been known to happen," McGonagall said as she continued to marvel at the chains. She flinched back slightly when they suddenly jerked tighter and rattled. She looked up to see Lockhart struggling and she continued with her statement. "In moments of high stress someone could perform magic they wouldn't or haven't been able to otherwise. As long as they know the incantation they could perform the magic."

"Harry," Draco whispered and pointing towards the entrance to the bathroom. Dumbledore had returned followed by three stern looking men. The one in the middle was a tall bald black man with a large hoop earring in one ear. Upon seeing what he presumed to be the Aurors Harry lowered the wards that prevented anyone from approaching closer than two feet.

"Here he is," Dumbledore said. His tone was sour and curt and his face looked like he had been sucking on a sour lemon. The tall black Auror went past Dumbledore to examine Lockhart and the chains that kept him pinned to the wall.

"I take it that it was you who pinned him up here Headmaster?" The Auror asked in a deep voice as he examined the chains and made the mistake of touching them and received a small shock for his trouble. His accent made Harry think that the man was from Africa.

"No, that was me," Harry interjected before Dumbledore could even open his mouth.

"You?" One of the other Aurors asked in disbelief. "You can't be more than a second year."

"Regardless," Harry said doing his very best to keep from saying any snide remarks about the man's intelligence. "It was I who chained him to the wall after catching the beast molesting a fellow student."

"Do you have any proof of this?" The black Auror asked as he stepped away from the chains and rubbed his fingers together to try and get the tingling sensation to go away from the shock he had received from the chains.

"My memories which I am more than willing to provide," Harry said eyeing the black man suspiciously. He had a sneaky feeling that the man was in Dumbledore's pocket. "I can assure you that I am very aware of how to provide such memories and that there have been numerous cases in which a criminal has been arrested and convicted solely upon memories provided by a witness." Every word Harry had spoken was true. Salazar's library may have held mostly books about mind magic and potions but there were a few, surprisingly recent, books about law. They weren't so recent as to be from within the last few decades but they were from the past few centuries.

"And I assure you Mr. Potter," The Auror said clearly displeased. "That I am fully aware of that. Now if you would kindly release Mr. Lockhart so we may take him into custody."

Harry stared into the Aurors eyes for a minute before straightening up from leaning against the sink. He walked over to Lockhart and laid his hands on the chain. Then he yanked the chains away from the wall and they disintegrated into nothing, leaving Lockhart free to fall to the ground in a heap.

"He's all yours," Harry said walking back to the sink to stand between Hermione and Draco.

The three of them watched as the Aurors arrested a still silenced Lockhart. The man continued to ramble on, likely trying to weasel his way out of his predicament or asking why he was being arrested, Harry didn't know and frankly he didn't care. As long as the man was out of the castle and somewhere where he would never harm someone else again Harry was happy. He only hoped that Dumbledore wouldn't pull something to get the man released and reinstated as a teacher. Harry vowed, as he watched the Aurors drag a struggling Lockhart out of the room, that if that happened he would personally see to it that the man was not only ejected from the castle but turned into an invalid for the rest of his life as well. Harry absolutely hated child abusers.

–Scene Break–

Despite the outrageous start to the school term the rest of September and October passed surprisingly quiet. Harry, Draco, and Hermione had been called upon by the Aurors to give statements about what they saw and Harry had given them his memories of the incident starting when he opened the bathroom door. Despite, what Harry was sure a strong effort on Dumbledore's part, Lockhart was convicted of child molestation and abuse and sentenced to life in Azkaban. When the man was interrogated under Veritaserum it was discovered that the man had been molesting children most of his life whenever he could get away with it as well as the fact that he had been stealing credit from other wizards and that was why he was so famous.

After the fiasco in the bathroom Neville had become a permanent addition to their group of friends. Whenever they had class together Neville would sit next to or in between Harry, Draco, and Hermione depending on what class they were in. He was still nervous and jittery around other people and when he was on his own he usually clamed up and tried to hide but as the days progressed he continued to get better. When they were all together Neville would become more talkative and relaxed and the more time that passed the more he would become relaxed and open with other people as well.

The only downside to it all was that Dumbledore had taken it upon himself to take over DADA. In Harry's opinion the man was almost worse than Lockhart when it came to actually learning something. The man was crafty. He made almost everyone enjoy the class but Harry wasn't stupid. The entire class was nothing but theory and useless theory at that. Thankfully, though Harry, Draco, Hermione and now Neville had Godric's library to help them learn some more appropriate defense.

Severus had confronted Harry about his display of advanced magic a few days after Lockhart was arrested and Harry had told him the truth about how it really happened. At first Severus was skeptical about it but when Harry asked him to give him a random spell that a second year wouldn't be able to perform and that was well beyond most students at Hogwarts; Severus had a hard time holding onto his doubts. The spell he had provided Harry to demonstrate with was… complicated to say the least and Harry made it look like slicing a piece of cake. After the demonstration Severus nodded curtly and dismissed Harry so he could think over what he had learned.

Now it was Halloween and Harry and Draco were sitting at the Slytherin table enjoying their dessert after a delicious Halloween feast. Harry couldn't help but think that Madame Pomfrey would be proud of him. He had indulged himself in almost every single dish within arm's reach more than once and now he was enjoying several pieces of pie as well as candy. Harry had received more than one curious glance at the amount of food he had been eating but he easily ignored them. Madame Pomfrey's regimen of heavy meals had worked wonders for his physique. Harry's ribs had vanished entirely back into his flesh and his clothing fit much better despite them having been tailored to his skinnier physique. Draco, who was sitting next to Harry, didn't so much as glance at Harry's seemingly strange eating habits since he knew why Harry was doing it.

"I'll be right back," Harry whispered quietly to Draco. Having figured why Harry was leaving Draco merely nodded.

Harry quickly, but calmly, left the Great Hall and made his way to the bathroom. The amount of pumpkin juice Harry had consumed during the meal had gone straight through him. Upon coming out of the bathroom Harry noticed a trail of water coming down the stairs from the second floor. Curious Harry followed the trail up the stairs to a corridor ending in a girl's bathroom that had water flowing from under the door like a river.

"Harry Potter," A high squeaky voice called from behind him. Harry turned around to see a house elf cowering behind the corner. It had eyes the size of tennis balls and just as green. From his overall demeanor Harry would guess the elf was male. "Harry Potter must leave Hogwarts. It isn't safe. Harry Potter _must_ leave."

"Why isn't the castle safe?" Harry asked gently. He could tell the elf was terrified and didn't want to scare him any further. He wasn't sure why the elf was terrified but if he had any luck what so ever he might be able to get some information out of the elf he assumed had been the one responsible for the mishaps in the beginning of September.

"There is a plot," The elf struggled to say. Harry began to suspect that no one had actually sent the elf and it was there against the wishes of its master. "A plot to make most evil things happen,"

"What is your name elf?" Harry asked gently and with a reassure smile as he knelt down to be at eye level with the elf. Unfortunately before the elf could answer its ears perked up when footsteps reached their ears. It immediately popped away with a small crack.

"Harry?" The voice of Severus Snape inquired as said man came around the corner.

"Hello Professor," Harry said with a small smile. Harry had grown to calling Severus by his name when no one was around but they had both silently agreed to try and keep up appearances when they weren't securely behind closed doors where prying ears couldn't hear anything.

"What're you doing up here?" Severus asked. "And who were you talking to?"

"That house elf I told you about decided to finally decided to make an appearance, though unfortunately I didn't get its name," Harry explained as he stood up and straightened his robes. "As for my being up here I found a veritable river of water flowing down the stairs. Curiosity got the better of me so I decided to see where it was coming from."

"Ah," Severus said in understanding. "Yes the ghost that resides in that bathroom has a tendency to flood the bathroom when she gets upset."

"Oh," Harry said looking back to the bathroom. As he swiveled around to head down to the dungeons with Severus something caught his eye. "Uh," Harry said as he shifted closer to bathroom to get a better look at the wall next to the door. "I don't suppose that she writes mysterious and sinister messages in blood on the walls as well?"

"What?" Severus asked in confusion as he walked forward to get a better look at what Harry was looking at.

_THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS BELONGS TO THE HEIR!_

_YOU ALL WILL PAY!_

"This is not good," Severus said staring at the wall.

"Nope," Harry said contemplating everything he knew and trying to figure out who was behind this.

The wards of the castle had yet to pick up any strange magical signatures that would indicate a Dark artifact within the castle and the wards guarding The Chamber hadn't alerted him to anyone attempting to breach any of the entrances. Then again the wards only prevented anyone he didn't want from coming into The Chamber and only alerted him if someone breached an entrance or laid an assault against the wards.

Then there was what Draco had told him at the beginning of the year. He had feared that his father was planning something against Hogwarts this year and Harry had a feeling that this was a part of it. He hated to admit it but he suspected that the house elf belonged to the Malfoy family.

"Come," Severus said interrupting Harry's thoughts. "We need to get out of here before a crowd gathers,"


	9. Chapter 9: The Attacks Begin

**Disclaimer: **The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me.

**A/N: **Hey everyone! I'm glad to hear you all enjoyed the previous update. Here's a new chapter for you all I hope you enjoy it as much as the others. In response to some reviews asking about posting schedules I'm sorry to say I don't really have a set schedule (as you probably can tell by how long it took me to get this chapter up). I usually just post whenever I finish a chapter. However I am sad to say that with the holidays approaching the time between my posts will most likely grow until things settle down but I will do my best to not keep you guys waiting too long ;-) Well I think that's enough babbling on my part! Thank you again for the fabulous reviews I've been getting and enjoy the update! :-)

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><p>CHAPTER FIVE: THE ATTACKS BEGIN<p>

Harry sat on the couch in Severus' personal quarters thinking as he stared into the fire. Severus had allowed Harry to come into his personal quarters whenever he wanted as long as he didn't do it too often or bring other people with him. Harry rarely took advantage of the offer but he couldn't sleep tonight but he didn't feel like wandering the castle's corridors. Discovering the writing on the wall the previous night had raised Harry's hackles to the point where he couldn't let it go to get some sleep. There was something he was missing and he felt that it was staring him right in the face.

Harry had searched the castle through the wards for anything Dark, literally anything. He discovered a fair amount of readings coming from the Slytherin dormitories but he passed them off as family heirlooms but he set the wards to monitoring them incase his assumption was wrong. Other than that he came up with nothing.

"You are wise beyond your years, young one," A young female voice spoke up suddenly, startling Harry into leaping off of the couch. "But you are not yet wise enough to deal with the situation before you."

Harry looked around the room but couldn't see anything in the dimly lit room since the fire was the only source of light. Just as he was about draw his wand to cast more light the rustling of feathers reached his ears and a giant bird flew out of the shadows to perch on the back of the chair sitting next to the fireplace. It was a gorgeous bald eagle and from the voice Harry heard he assumed it was a female one at that.

"Rowena's familiar I take it," Harry said with a small bow of his head to show respect.

"Yes," The bald eagle said and although her voice sounded young and vibrant Harry could hear the years there as well. "My name is Aili,"

"It is a pleasure to meet you Aili," Harry said as he resumed his seat on the couch.

"We shall see," Aili said with narrowed yellow eyes. Harry got the distinct impression that he was not well liked by this particular familiar. "Unlike Kane and Orpheus my faith in wizards and mankind in general is not so easily restored and Edana will be even more skeptical should she ever decide to reveal herself. That being said I've decided to at least assist you for the time being. Follow me."

Harry was a little nonplused by Aili's abrupt and slightly rude treatment of him. However given what he knew about the truth of what happened between the founders Harry honestly couldn't blame her. He quickly got to his feet and followed the cranky bird out of the room. Aili lead Harry through the secret tunnels towards the west side of the castle. When they were near the back of the castle on the west side Aili led Harry up a long flight of stairs. At the very top of what Harry guessed to be a tower they came to a door. Aili perched on the windowsill that was next to the door and pinned Harry with her yellow eyes.

"I am trusting you with this human," Aili said with deadly seriousness. "Beyond this door you will discover secrets that almost every wizard today has no idea about. There will be secrets that were lost to time eons ago. Misuse what you find beyond this door and you may find yourself without eyes. I will be watching." With that last warning Aili turned and flew out of the window and into the night sky.

Harry stared after her for several minutes. The eagle was clearly very mistrustful of anything human. Again Harry didn't blame her but he wished she was just a little bit nicer towards him given that he had never done anything against her to begin with. Putting aside the mystery of the distrustful bird for the time being Harry turned back to the doorway and opened it. Just like with Godric's rooms, wards sprung to life when Harry crossed the threshold to Rowena's rooms. After a few minutes they settled down and tied themselves to Harry as their caregiver.

When Harry went further into the room the fireplace sprung to life and illuminated the room. It was one single empty room. It was in the shape of a half circle about the size of the Great Hall and just as high. The fireplace that illuminated the room was five feet to Harry's left on the same wall as the door. The entire arc of the opposite wall was covered in doors. There were levels as well. Four feet above the first row of doors was another row of doors and another and another, going all the way to the top as far as Harry could tell. There was no staircase leading to the upper levels, just an incredibly long ladder that looked to be on a track so it could reach each and every door.

Entirely too curious for his own good Harry went to the closest door and cautiously opened it. Inside was a bedroom. It was sparsely decorated. A single king sized bed adorned the center of the room with a wardrobe off to the side. A large oval ornate mirror stood next to the wardrobe. On the opposite side of the room of the wardrobe was another door leading to what Harry assumed was a bathroom. Leaving the room and closing the door behind him Harry went on to the next door in line.

In this room there was a single chair with an end table next to it. On the walls at each of the cardinal points was an hourglass. All the sand in each glass was settled in the bottom. Harry went a little farther into the room. The minute he stepped past the range of the doorway the hourglasses flipped over and sand began to fall but it didn't fall like any hourglass Harry had ever seen. Instead of falling in a steady stream of sand like regular sandglasses, the sand in these sandglasses fell one solitary grain of sand at a time and they fell extremely slow and the next grain would not fall until the first had touched down on the bottom half.

"Odd," Harry mused aloud as he approached an hourglass to examine it more closely.

Completely baffled about what this room was supposed to be for Harry turned and left the room. Filing the strange room away to be explored with later Harry moved on to the next door. Here at this door Harry stopped dead in his tracks. He had just opened the door to a library that was easily a hundred times larger the Great Hall and even as Harry watched it continued to expand and new books appeared out of nowhere to settle in next to the others on whatever shelf it appeared on.

"Within this library," Came Aili's voice from atop the nearest bookshelf, which also happened to be the lowest one in the room as far as Harry could tell. "You will find all forms of knowledge. Ninety-five percent of this library deals with knowledge on magic, Dark, Light, and Neutral, but there are books here on non-magical subjects as well. As you can see it is spelled similar to the way Godric's library is spelled only it's meant to take in all knowledge and not just one specific type of magic."

"This is beyond unbelievable Aili," Harry said completely stunned.

Aili regarded Harry for a moment before continuing. "In this library you will find any information you could possibly need. The room you discovered before is specially designed to give you more time to read more. For each grain of sand that reaches the bottom of the hourglasses one second will have passed for everyone outside the room. You will be able to absorb more information faster using that room."

"Well I guess that makes sense," Harry said as he recalled the strange room next door.

"Furthermore," Aili continued as she fluffed her feathers and regarded Harry with a piercing yellow eye. "There is only going to be one more door that you can open. It is a training room where you will be able to practice and attempt any spell you wish. It too is equipped with temporal spells that will give you more time to practice and train. The other doors of Rowena's chambers will remain closed until you have proven both trustworthy and capable of handling the secrets contained within this tower." Without waiting for any sort of response from Harry Aili took flight and disappeared into the many bookshelves higher up in the room.

"Has she always been like that?" Harry asked Kane and Orpheus.

"_Aili has always been a little curt,_" Orpheus said as he poked his head out of Harry's collar and to look in the direction Aili had flown off.

"But when the public forced the founders to split because of a minor public disagreement," Kane cut in as he appeared next to Harry. "Both her and Edana became extremely jaded and closed off. Aili didn't become as bad as Edana but still. Neither of them held any more faith in mankind. When the founders finally succumbed to the flow of time and passed on Aili and Edana vanished without a single word to the rest of us."

"_Over time Aili started speaking to me and Kane again,_" Orpheus said as if he had never been interrupted. "_But Edana vanished without any trace or further contact. To this day no one knows where she went or where she is currently. To be frank I'm surprised Aili decided to approach you so soon._"

"I agree," Kane said with a nod. "When we were watching you over the summer I got the impression that she had no intention of ever approaching you."

"Well," Harry said as he approached one of the bookshelves. "I'm glad she changed her mind and I hope that I can earn her trust."

Harry checked his watch that was especially made to work in areas of high concentrations of magic and saw that it was only midnight. Since it was the weekend, Sunday morning to be exact, Harry decided to spend some time reading. He took a few books off the shelves before leaving the library. He went into the Time Room and sat down in the chair in the center of the room. He set the books on the table next to him and took the one off the top and started reading.

–Scene Break–

Harry snuck into the Slytherin dormitories at half past midnight and collapsed on his bed instantly falling asleep. He had spent what would have been hours upon hours in reading any book he could get his greedy little hands on but thanks to the Time Room was only half an hour. Despite the late hour when he had started Harry had been wide awake. Between the shock of finding such a massive library and the troubles plaguing his mind that had kept him up in the first place Harry had been more than willing to read every book he could find. Each book had taught him something new and each time he finished one book he wanted to read more. If it weren't for the fact his body had nearly passed out on the way back to the library for more books Harry probably never would have stopped reading. At that point Harry had declared it enough and made his way back to the Slytherin dorms to sleep.

"Harry?" Draco called giving Harry's shoulder a shake. Harry jerked awake. He was still in the same position he had been in when he collapsed onto his bed earlier that morning.

"Time?" Harry asked not even moving an inch from his surprisingly comfortable position. He was still extremely tired so he used his eyes to look around before locking onto Draco.

"It's six thirty," Draco answered. He then looked at Harry in confusion as he groaned and buried his head deeper into his pillows.

"Sleep," Came the muffled response.

"Harry, come on," Draco said giving said boy's shoulder another shake. "Breakfast is in an hour."

"Sleep," Harry said again from under his pillows. "Food later. Sleep now."

"Harry, Madame Pomfrey will kill you if you miss a meal. She hasn't cleared you to return to normal eating." Draco reminded Harry.

"Fine," Harry moaned as he slipped out of bed. He may have gotten about six hours of sleep but the level of activity his brain had kept up due to everything he had read made Harry feel as if he had only gotten a few minutes or an hour at most. "At least today is Sunday and I can go back to sleep after breakfast." Harry added as he changed into more comfortable clothing but still appropriate for breakfast in a room full of at least two hundred people.

"Didn't get any sleep last night I take it?" Draco asked as he followed Harry out of the dungeons.

"In a matter of speaking," Harry said as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Suffice it to say that I met another of the founder's familiars last night and spent a good deal of time dealing with that." Harry hoped that Draco didn't ask too many questions. He didn't want to keep secrets from his best friend but he didn't want to lose his eyes either.

"Who's was it?" Draco asked as they sat down in the Great Hall. Given the hour the hall was mostly empty but those who were up and eating breakfast this early were all silent and fear hung in the air. Despite their best efforts, none of the teachers could remove the threatening message from the wall on the second floor corridor and by nightfall of the following day the entire school knew of it.

"A very testy eagle named Aili," Harry answered as he poured himself some tea instead of milk or pumpkin juice. He was hoping the small amount of caffeine in the tea along with a little sugar would help wake him up a little. "She was Rowena's familiar."

"Testy?" Draco asked in confusion.

"Testy," Harry confirmed with a nod as he took a drink from his tea. "Aili and Helga's familiar don't trust humans very much since the split between the founders."

"You met Helga's familiar too?" Draco asked in shock.

"No," Harry said as he filled his plate with warm food. "Just Aili. I only know about Helga's familiar because Orpheus and Kane told me about her."

"Ah," Draco said in realization.

The two spent the rest of breakfast in silence. Given the early hour there wasn't much to discuss anyways. Harry, Draco, Hermione, and Neville had already discussed the issue of the writing on the wall and couldn't come up with any ideas about who had done it. Of course it didn't help that there weren't any clues to go off of. The hallway where the writing was was completely empty of any portraits and the teachers couldn't identify the magical signature on the writing.

Suddenly Harry realized something and he inhaled sharply in shock, which turned out to be a big mistake as he had just taken the last bite of his breakfast. He immediately started chocking. Draco quickly came to Harry's aide and started pounding Harry on the back to try and help clear his airway. Unfortunately it didn't help much and Harry, though he was getting light headed from the lack of air, ended up pulling out the first wand he grabbed from his pocket. He pointed it at his throat and thought of one of the spells he read about last night in a book on medical magic. He concentrated as best he could on the incantation Anapneo and suddenly he could breath easily again, though his throat felt a little raw.

"You ok?" Draco asked in concern.

"Yeah," Harry said looking down at the Elder Wand in his hand. It was the second time that he had reached for his wand, _his_ wand not the Elder Wand, and this had leaped into his hand. He was actually starting to become afraid of the wand and its power. Not only that but it was unfamiliar and cold in his hand. Oh the wand listened and did anything and everything Harry asked it to do but it was like holding a mindless piece of equipment. His holy and phoenix feather wand always felt warm and friendly in his hand. "Just growing more concerned about this wand."

"Why? And what spell did you just use?" Draco couldn't help but ask.

"Anapneo," Harry answered. "And because it's dangerous. Any spell whatsoever I think of it performs even if I've never deliberately practiced it and most of the time without any thought on my part."

"I see your concern," Draco said as he looked at the Elder Wand in a new light.

"However that's beside the point," Harry said getting up and gesturing for Draco to follow. "The reason I started chocking was because I just realized something. Do you remember at the beginning of the year you talked to me about what happened in Diagon Alley between your father and the Weasley family?"

"Yeah," Draco said not entirely following Harry's line of thought.

"Do you remember how you thought he planted something among the Weasley girl's things?" Harry continued as he climbed the stairs towards the medical wing.

"Yes," Draco answered.

"Well I think that whatever your father slipped into the girl's things is responsible for the writing on the wall in some way," Harry said getting to his point as he pushed open the doors to the infirmary.

"But how would an object do that?" Draco asked. He could guess as to how an object could do something like that, growing up around Dark artifacts had some benefits after all, but he didn't like the ideas that popped into his mind.

"As I'm sure you've already concluded there are many ways something could do that." Harry answered seeing the look on Draco's face.

"Harry?" Madame Pomfrey said coming out of her office. "What're you doing here so early?"

"Sorry I've disturbed you Madame Pomfrey," Harry said with a slight smile. "But I was just wondering if my artery was strong enough to allow me to do more strenuous activities. I've been getting bored doing nothing but reading books and going for the occasional walk."

"Well," Madame Pomfrey said as she gestured for Harry to follow her. "It has been a few weeks since your last check up. Let's see how that artery is holding up."

Harry sat on the bed Madame Pomfrey had led him to and quietly endured her magical poking and prodding. It only lasted a few minutes but Harry never liked hospitals much. Then again he had never really been in one before he came into the Wizarding World. The Dursley's had never taken Harry anywhere they didn't absolutely have to and that included hospital visits.

"Alright," Madame Pomfrey said straightening up from running her scans. "Your artery seems to be doing very well. It's much stronger than the last time I looked at it. I think it would be ok for you to do some more strenuous activities but DO NOT push yourself. If you start getting tired take a break. Also your weight is up to average so you can return to normal meals now."

"Brilliant!" Harry said hopping down off the bed. "Thank you Madame Pomfrey."

"You're quite welcome Harry but remember don't push yourself," Madame Pomfrey scolded as Harry dashed out of the hospital wing with Draco hot on his heels.

"I won't," Harry called before turning to Draco. "Could you go tell Hermione and Neville about this? I need to go take care of something but we need to keep an eye on the Weasley girl."

"I suppose," Draco said confused by what Harry could possibly need to do instead of going with him to talk to Hermione and Neville. He was just about to ask Harry what he needed to do when Harry turned and vanished through one of the secret doors leading to the network of passageways throughout the castle. Sighing in annoyance Draco turned to hunt down Hermione and Neville. No matter how hard he would try there was no way he would be able to track Harry through the tunnels.

As for Harry, he felt bad about suddenly ditching Draco like that but he honestly didn't want to have his eyes scratched out by an angry eagle. He quickly made his way through the tunnels until he ended up at Rowena's secret room. It actually didn't take him that long. The hospital wing was surprisingly close to where her tower was.

"You surprise me human," Aili's voice echoed through the room the minute Harry entered. "I was almost positive that you would have told your friend about this tower immediately upon waking this morning. And yet you did not… why?"

"Well for starters I wanted to ease your fears about me and to try and help you see that I would never abuse the information contained within this tower. Then of course there's the fact that you said you'd peck my eyes out if I ever abused the information." Harry answered honestly as he looked up at Aili who had perched on the ladder in the middle of the second floor.

Aili suddenly started letting out a high pitched screeching and after a few minutes of listening to it Harry realized she was laughing.

"At least you are honest young one," Aili said when she had stopped laughing. "A quality Rowena prized even above the pursuit of knowledge." She paused for a few moments and eyed Harry with a piercing yellow eye. "Very well, I shall help you further. I see questions and ideas burning within your mind. In answer to your question yes the library is organized and cataloged. I'm sure you missed it last night but there is an orb next to the door on the inside. Speak to it what you seek and it will guide you the section you need. In addition to this you know have access to two more doors, both of which are on the second level. They will assist you in your plans with the Elder Wand."

"Thank you for your generosity Aili," Harry said giving the bird a short bow.

"One last thing," Aili said giving Harry a serious look. "As I am not entirely jaded and cruel, I understand that keeping secrets from your blond friend is very difficult for you to do. Therefore you may tell him and only him about this tower _but_ he is not allowed within these walls."

"Understood Aili. Thank you," Harry said and then watched as Aili took flight higher into the room and disappeared into the rafters.

"Looks like we're making progress," Harry said aloud to himself.

Putting aside the issue of Aili for the moment Harry went over to the library. Sure enough Aili was right. Just inside the door on the right hand side was a crystal orb about the size of a tennis ball in the center of a blue feather pillow on a little stand. Harry picked up the orb and it started glowing faintly. At first he wasn't sure what to ask for but then he figured he'd just give it a shot.

"Magical containers," Harry spoke to the orb.

Almost instantly it shot out of his hand and floated into the air. The orb quickly started down the central isle of the library forcing Harry to follow. It went down for what seemed forever before turning a corner and entering the many stacks that filled the room and stopping before one on the right hand side. When Harry approached the orb it went inactive and vanished. Harry assumed it returned to its pillow next to the door so he turned to the bookshelf and examined the titles of the books. As expected every book he looked at dealt with magical containers in some way. The one that really caught his eye though was a book on building magical containers. That was perfect for what Harry had in mind.

He grabbed the book off the shelf and quickly started reading as he walked back towards the exit of the library and then into the Time Room so he could have a little extra time to read the book. It explained how magical containers were once made down to the minutest of details such as what the most common material used was; wood. The book explained how to imbed runes into the surface of the container to make the magic of the container stronger and more specific to the maker's wishes.

Harry finished reading the book with a smile on his face. He now knew everything he needed to know in order to implement his plan to deal with the Elder Wand. At first he had thought to simply acquire a magical container but the book he had just read had said that such containers were rare and very few wizards made them and the book was written in the early fifteenth century so Harry could only imagine what it would be like now. Harry was about to leave Rowena's tower when he remembered Aili's words about the two doors on the second floor. Since he had the rest of the day to do as he pleased, he finished his homework on Friday; Harry decided to see what she meant.

Not really sure which doors were open Harry merely went up the ladder until he was level with the second floor. His plan had been to simply try a door on each side of the ladder and then get down, move the ladder, and then try the next set of doors until he found the open doors. However the minute he became even with the second level a light rainbow colored floor appeared, complete with a railing so he didn't fall off. A little nervous about a transparent floor made of rainbow light, Harry hesitantly tested the floor with one foot before slowly transferring himself from the ladder onto the floor.

After testing the floor a little further and making sure the railing was solid Harry went about checking the doors to see which ones were open. He didn't have to search for very long. Two doors down from where the ladder was Harry found an open door. Inside was a large room filled with thousands of unrefined materials. Wood, metal, gold, silver, and ore; these were just the building materials. There were thousands of jars and boxes filled with things like unicorn hair, dragon heartstrings, phoenix feathers and other such things all of which Harry knew to be used in making wands from his trip to Olivander's last year.

"Oh she did not," Harry said as he got an idea about what might be in the other door Aili had allowed him to have access to.

He quickly left the room and tried the door next door. As he expected it was open. Inside was a large professional looking forge. There was an anvil in the center of the room in front of the actual forge. Lining the room were dozens of blacksmith tools and above them were four hourglasses just like in the Time Room and the practice room on the first floor. And above those was a single window. As he watched Aili came flying through the window to land on the anvil.

"Not only was Rowena a gatherer of knowledge she was also a practitioner and she realized early on that her pursuit of knowledge would consume every aspect of her life if she wasn't careful," Aili started explaining. "That was something she did not want. Therefore she imbedded rooms like these with the power to give her more time. As I'm sure you've guessed they are all calibrated the same way. Each grain of sand will equal one second for anyone outside of the room. The room next door containing all the materials, is connected to this one so if you go back and forth between the two the time shift will remain active. Before you attempt to work this forge I suggest you read one of the books in the library about them." Aili left through the window before Harry could have a chance to thank her.

"Not as bad as she seems," Harry said aloud as he left the room to head back to the library.

"_She is just like Rowena was,_" Orpheus responded for both himself and Kane. "_They both had a cold and hard demeanor but if you managed to get past that they have big hearts. I had thought Aili had lost that after Rowena died but she appears to simply be hiding it._"

"Well I'm glad I could help bring it out again," Harry said with a smile. He was about to climb down the ladder when he had a thought. He got off the ladder, still on the second floor, and shifted the ladder to the left to see if it would move through the floor of light. He smiled when it easily passed through the floor even though it was solid to Harry. He moved the ladder next to the forge before going down and into the library.

–Scene Break–

"There you are!" Draco said when he finally spotted Hermione and Neville sitting in the library doing their homework. "I swear I should just start my searches here."

"I apologize Draco," Hermione said with a smile as she looked up from her books. "I didn't realize you were looking for us."

"Ha ha," Draco said sarcastically as he sat down across from the two.

"So what can we do for you today Draco?" Neville asked as he smiled at the banter between him and Hermione.

"Well I'm slightly pressed for time at the moment," Draco said sounding rather mysterious. He proceeded to explain everything that happened that morning and the revelation that Harry had.

"So where is Harry?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Haven't a clue really," Draco said rubbing his forehead. "He dashed out sight into one of the tunnels before I could ask him anything else and I knew I wouldn't be able to follow him. And speaking of disappearing I myself have to vanish. We'll talk later with Harry about keeping an eye on the Weasley girl." With that Draco left the library before Hermione or Neville could ask anything else.

–Scene Break–

Harry stood over the sweltering fire of the forge watching the metal he had chosen melt. Thankfully it was a magical forge that stayed at a constant heat, so he didn't have to constantly stoke the fire to keep it hot. Suddenly his stomach growled rather loudly causing Harry to start slightly. He looked down at his watch and saw that it was noon by his watch. He then looked up at the hour glasses on the wall and saw that only half of the sand in them had fallen. That meant that it was still only about eight thirty in the morning when he had entered the forge to start his work.

Harry stared into the flames as he tried to decide whether or not he wanted more breakfast or some lunch instead. It was actually quite a tough decision but in the end he went with lunch since he had spent years eating whatever he could whenever he could. He snapped his fingers to summon an elf.

"You called Master Harry?" A proper yet squeaky little elf who's name Harry could never remember. Most elves had simple and short names, usually one syllable, but this elf had a surprisingly long name. He was also the head elf at Hogwarts and as Harry technically owned Hogwarts the elf was extremely loyal to Harry as were the other elves, to which Harry was very grateful for.

"Yes," Harry said with a smile. Despite the fact that he couldn't remember the elf's name if his life depended on it he liked the little guy. "I realize it's only about eight thirty but I find myself famished. Would you please bring me some lunch? Preferably a sandwich of some kind along with a salad."

"Of course Master Harry," The elf said before popping away.

Harry smiled one last time before turning back to the metal in the forge. He saw that it had completely melted. Before the molten metal could begin to bubble Harry grabbed a pair of long handled tongs and pulled the deep stone bowel out of the flames. Making sure to keep the bowel level Harry turned and went over to the mould he had made earlier and poured the molten metal into the mould. Harry had taken the time to very, very carefully carve three types of runes backwards into the mould: bind, contain, and summon. Each rune would be imbued with a small portion of his own magic in order to tie it specifically to him and no one else once the metal had cooled enough to allow him to do so.

"Where would Master Harry like his lunch?" The head elf said popping back into the room.

"The anvil will be good," Harry said making sure that every drop of liquid metal had drained from the bowel before setting it aside to cool down. He then turned to the elf. "You know I'm terribly sorry but for the life of me I cannot remember your name for some reason."

"That is understandable Master Harry," The elf said as he finished setting the tray on the anvil. "Even most elves cannot remember my name. If master wishes you may do as they do and call me Nif. It is an abbreviation of my full name."

"That would most definitely work," Harry said with a smile. "Well thank you Nif, both for the meal and a name I can remember."

"You are welcome Master Harry," Nif said with a bow. "Will that be all Master Harry?"

"Yes it will," Harry answered and the elf popped away with another bow.

Harry bypassed his lunch for the moment and went into the store room to grab more metal. After grabbing the right metal Harry went back into the workshop. He put the chunk of metal into the melting bowel and then placed the melting bowel into the forge. Harry made sure the temperature was set at the right setting before grabbing a simple chair and sitting down in front of the anvil to eat.

It was just as Harry was standing up after finishing his sandwich and salad to check on the metal when he noticed one of the hourglasses flipping over just as the last grain of sand hit the bottom. The sand continued falling at the same rate it usually did so Harry figured it was flipping simply so the spell could continue operating.

Turning from the hourglasses on the wall Harry checked on the metal melting in the forge. It was only about half melted so Harry went over to his first mould. It was still white hot but it had cooled down enough to partially solidify. Harry took the last piece of the mould and pressed it into the bottom of the mould. It was just a magically reinforced piece of wood but it had more runes on it so they would cover the bottom as well as the rest of the box.

Leaving that to finish cooling Harry went to set up his second mould while the metal in the forge finished melting.

–Scene Break–

"Harry!" The voice of an apparently irritated Hermione called just as Harry was coming out of the passage door nearest the library, he had checked the wards and knew that was where she was. However he had not been expecting the shout and he started rather badly and almost dropped his completed project.

"Hi Hermione," Harry said as he turned around to face the bushy haired woman who was apparently ready to started combing the castle for his whereabouts. "How are you this morning?"

"Irritated, as if you couldn't tell," Hermione said glaring at Harry. A passive, yet slightly grinning, Neville came up behind Hermione and stood aside as Hermione started laying into Harry. "Where have you been? It may only be nine in the morning but we all agreed to meet in the library to finish our homework." When Harry heard the time he shifted his hold on his box to adjust the time on his watch, which read two in the afternoon, and made a mental note to set a clock next to the door inside Rowena's tower. "Then we find out you went off somewhere just seconds before Draco decides to disappear on us. Where have you been and what is that?"

"I see you're enjoying the show," Harry said giving Neville a look from around Hermione. Neville just laughed.

"Harry," Hermione reprimanded.

"For your information Hermione I still planned on meeting you in the library today and was in fact headed there now to join you. Shall we?" Harry gestured for Hermione to lead the way back into the library. She eyed him for a moment before turning back into the library. Once they were all settled down at a secluded table Harry started speaking again. "Now to answer your other inquiries I'm not sure why Draco bailed but I'm sure he has a very good reason. As for this," Harry gestured at the box. "Is my solution to the danger that the Elder Wand poses."

Harry placed the box on the table. At first it appeared to have no openings or seals at all but when Harry placed his hands in just the right spots the seam between the lid and the box appeared and Harry lifted it open. Inside, resting in a perfect cut out of solid metal, was the Elder Wand.

"It's nice Harry but how is a simple box going to solve anything?" Neville asked as he admired the runes. He hadn't studied any runes as of yet so he didn't know what they meant.

"Not so simple," Harry said resealing the box. "These runes are designed to permanently seal the wand with in the box. No one but me can open it. Also, you remember how I told you about the wand simply leaping into my hand?" Both Hermione and Neville nodded. "Well that won't happen anymore unless I consciously call for it because the runes are designed to keep what is in the box in the box unless summoned by the owner."

"Where did you find it?" Hermione asked as she examined the metal box. It was crafted to the standard shape of a wand box only it was solid metal and had runes carved all over it.

"One of the rooms," Harry said making it clear with his tone that he meant one of the founder's rooms, which of course was entirely true… in a manner of speaking.

"So where are you going to hide it?" Hermione asked. She knew Harry too well by now to think he'd leave it in his dorm where there was easy access to it. Specific sealing spells or not it wouldn't be wise to let the wand fall into the wrong hands.

Making sure no one was around and that the wards were guarding their conversation from hidden ears, Harry answered. "I was thinking of Godric's rooms until this mess with– ahhhh!" Harry's sentence was cut off as he cried out in pain.

A piercing high pitched alarm went off in his head. Despite the fact that it was in his head Harry instinctively covered his ears to try and ward off the sound. It was the wards. They were alerting Harry to an attack on a student. This wasn't like what happened with Neville. With him there was no threat to his life so the wards had simply alerted him in an urgent and persistent manner. This time though, with a threat to a life of a student, the wards were far more demanding.

"Harry what's wrong?" Neville asked worriedly.

"Student," Harry managed to grind out through the pain. He just barely managed to hear Neville through the piercing screech of the wards. Over the course of the past year or so Harry had gotten pretty familiar with the wards and how they worked but he didn't know how to tone down the screech of the alarm and he could barely think through it.

"What about a student?" Hermione asked in growing concern. She figured it was the wards alerting Harry to a threat to a student but this was unusual.

"Attacked," Harry managed to say. He was trying to stroke the wards to get them to calm down so he could think but it was working slowly. Eventually he managed to get them to calm down enough where he could think a little more clearly. He looked directly at Neville and said, "Go get Madame Pomfrey. Sixth floor corridor, left hand side. The paintings will direct you two once you get close enough." Harry turned to Hermione as Neville rushed out of the library. "Go fetch Severus and meet me at the same place. If we're not there by the time you get there we'll most likely be in the Hospital Wing."

Just like Neville, Hermione didn't bother saying anything before dashing out of the library. Harry grabbed the box with the Elder Wand in it and followed suit but headed towards the sixth floor instead of the Hospital Wing or dungeons like the other two.


	10. Chapter 10: Quidditch Catastrophe

**Disclaimer: **The Characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me

**A/N:** Ok everyone here's the new chapter you all have been waiting for so eagerly. I want to thank everyone for the absolutely fabulous reviews I have received. Many of them make me laugh and I just love them all the more. I'd also like to thank those who have noticed and pointed out grammatical mistakes I have made. Even though I don't have the time to go through my previous chaps and stories to correct them I still like to know that they're there so I can fix them eventually. Again thank you everyone for the absolutely fabulous reviews and I hope everyone enjoys the chapter :-D

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><p>CHAPTER SIX: QUIDDITCH CATASTROPHE<p>

Harry rushed through the halls as he tried to get to the sixth floor as fast as possible. Thankfully most of the students were outside enjoying the unusually nice weather so Harry didn't have too much of a problem. In fact his main problem was climbing the stairs from the third floor to the sixth. Normally in a situation like this he'd have simply used the hidden passages but it was actually shorter this way given the location of the student who had been attacked.

Harry had just rounded the corner on the sixth floor to get to where the student was when he slipped and fell. He managed to catch himself to keep from hitting his head on the floor. He looked down to see what he had slipped on and saw that he was lying in a puddle of blood. Harry looked next to him and saw little Colin Creevey on the floor barely breathing and was bleeding from a large nasty gash that spread from his right shoulder to his left hip across his torso.

"Fawkes!" Harry cried urgently as he rushed over to Colin's side and pressed his hands against the wound to try and stop the bleeding.

Fawkes immediately appeared in a burst of fire to land on Harry's shoulder. Not even waiting for Harry to say anything Fawkes immediately extended his head over Colin's wound and shed tears over it. Harry watched as the tears slowly mended the wound. Unfortunately Harry could feel the Dark magic embedded in the gash and he wasn't surprised to see the tears stop working when the wound was only half healed.

Harry kept his hands pressed tightly against Colin's chest to keep Colin from bleeding out. He hoped that Neville and Madame Pomfrey arrived soon. Harry may have found Colin slightly annoying but he didn't want the boy to die. Half way through October Colin had worked up the nerve to approach Harry. Apparently he was a fan of Harry's for some reason and wanted an autograph. Harry had awkwardly obliged and sent Colin off with a happy smile on his face. Since then Colin had hung around Harry whenever he could and Harry tried to make sure that wasn't very often. It helped that they were in separate houses and he was usually surrounded by Draco, Hermione, and Neville.

Suddenly Harry heard footsteps running down the hallway. He leaned back to look around the corner and he saw Neville and Madame Pomfrey running towards him.

"Hurry!" Harry yelled.

"What happened?" Pomfrey asked as she rushed to Colin's side and started casting spells.

"I'm not sure," Harry said truthfully as he moved his hands out of Pomfrey's way. The wards had alerted Harry just as the attack had happened but Harry didn't get any clear images and the pain from the wards screaming only further prevented him from getting any images. "But there's Dark magic in the curse keeping it from healing completely. I can feel it and Fawkes' tears could only do so much."

"What happened?" Another voice asked. Harry turned to see Severus walking up behind him.

"Severus!" Madame Pomfrey said sounding relieved. "Quick, help me get him to the Hospital Wing."

Harry got to his feet without dislodging Fawkes with the help of Neville and followed everyone. Severus was levitating Colin while Pomfrey kept working her magic to keep Colin alive. Despite the fact that they were on the sixth floor it didn't take them long to reach the Hospital Wing.

"Severus he needs blood." Pomfrey silently ordered with a point of her finger towards the potions cabinet when they had set Colin on one of the beds.

"That'd be because I'm wearing half of it." Harry said. The comment sounded cold and callous and entirely unlike Harry and everyone in the room was shocked by his statement. That is until they looked at Harry. His entire demeanor practically screamed anxiety and concern so they all decided to ignore the comment.

"Harry," Severus said calmly as he knelt down in front of Harry after giving Pomfrey the potions she needed. "Tell me what happened."

"I was in the library," Harry explained. He went on to detail what had happened in the past ten or so minutes. "When I got to him I called Fawkes but his tears could only do so much. The wound is cursed. Even from here I can…" Harry trailed off as he realized something.

"Harry what is it?" Severus asked recognizing the look of recognition on Harry's face.

"It's him," Harry said as he stared at Colin.

"It's Colin?" Hermione asked in confusion. She had been standing next to Harry and couldn't help but over hear what he had been saying.

"No!" Harry said waving a hand at Hermione. "It's Riddle. I recognize the magical signature from last year when I encountered him in the room with the fake stone. But it's altered slightly which is why I didn't recognize it from the writing on the wall. Somehow Riddle is back in the castle. But how?"

"Poppy, how is he looking?" Severus asked as he got up and went over to Colin's hospital bed.

"Stable, thankfully," Madame Pomfrey said as she straightened up and wiped the sweat from her brow. "But Harry's right. The wound won't close unless we can figure out what curse is keeping it open. Do you have any ideas Severus?"

Severus took several moments to examine the wound inflicted on Colin's chest. Being the resident Dark Arts expert everyone expected Severus to know what was wrong but Harry knew otherwise. He had delved a little deeper into Rowena's library and found a section on Dark Arts about the size of a house and that wasn't even half of it, hell it wasn't even a quarter of the amount of Dark Arts books in that library. The simple truth was that Voldemort knew much more Dark magic than almost anyone alive.

"Unfortunately I cannot determine the curse used," Severus said after what seemed like forever. Everyone sighed in disappointment. "However I agree with your statement Harry. The more I examined the curse the more I recognized the magical signature and just as you said it is somehow being distorted."

"Madame Pomfrey how stable is he?" Harry asked as he rubbed a bloody hand across his forehead leaving a prominent red streak across his head.

"Well the wound cuts down about halfway through the muscles in his torso," Pomfrey explained. "He's as stable as I can get him. Unfortunately we don't know anything about the curse keeping the wound open. It could end up deepening or widening. He'll have to be watched closely until we can remove the curse."

"Ok," Harry said nodding in understanding. "Well I'm going to go clean up and see if I can't find something about that curse."

"Where?" Severus asked as Harry turned to walk out of the Hospital Wing.

"The library," Harry called before he could no longer be heard.

Harry walked through a hidden door and made straight for Rowena's tower. Once there he entered her bedroom. Then he called for Nif.

"Yes Master Harry?" Nif said when he popped in.

"If you would please be so kind as to retrieve me some clean clothing from my wardrobe in the Slytherin dorms," Harry said as set down the box containing the Elder Wand and began to remove his bloody clothing. Fawkes flew from Harry's shoulder to perch on the foot of the bed frame and began preening his feathers. "And when you've done that please try and remove the blood from this clothing."

"Right away Master Harry," Nif said before popping away to do as he was asked.

Harry finished undressing and went into the bathroom. It was probably the simplest bathroom out of the three founders' rooms he had encountered but Harry hardly noticed. He was focused on getting the blood off of his skin. It may not be his but it was bringing up bad memories that he'd rather leave at rest. A sudden vibrating sensation drew Harry out of the reverie he had fallen into.

"Are you purring?" Harry asked looking down at Kane who had taken up residence on Harry's chest just above his heart.

_No,_ Came the telepathic reply from Kane, though he wasn't very convincing.

"You liar! You are so purring." Harry said with a laugh. He couldn't help it. It was just too funny to have a tattoo that purred.

_So what if I am? _Kane asked indigently even though he never stopped purring. _I get to enjoy the warmth of a shower without getting wet. Not to mention the shower feels like a little massage._

Harry just laughed all the harder at that and he ended up finishing his shower in a better mood than when he started. He got out of the shower to find a clean pair of jeans and a sweater waiting for him as well as fresh underwear and socks.

"So where've you been?" Harry asked Fawkes as he finished drying himself before putting on his clothes. Fawkes had been off doing something elsewhere in the world for the past several months. He visited occasionally but he never stayed very long. Fawkes chirped at Harry and sent a series of images across their bond. From them Harry managed to deduce that Fawkes had been out shielding the presence of some muggle-borns from Dumbledore. The man had an inordinate interest in them for some reason and neither of them liked it. Thus Fawkes was trying to keep them hidden so Dumbledore couldn't influence them before they reached Hogwarts when they stood a better chance of fighting his manipulations.

"You truly are an amazing bird you know that?" Harry said with a smile as he donned his sweater and stood up. Fawkes flapped up to his shoulder with an indignant chirp at being compared to a common avian as well as a chirp in gratitude for the compliment. Harry made his way into the library and grabbed the orb next to the door. "Dark curses, specifically inflicted wound curses."

At first the orb didn't do anything and Harry feared that his cross-reference wouldn't be accepted by the orb but then it shot in the air and started moving down the aisles. Harry hopped that his cross-reference limited the amount of material he would have to read but he'd read whatever he had to find the counter curse. He had a feeling that this wouldn't be the last time something like this happened.

–Scene Break–

"Why are you reading a blank book?" Draco asked. He and Harry were sitting in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom waiting for Dumbledore to show up. It was Friday the week after Colin was attacked.

"It's not blank you just can't read it," Harry said not looking up from the book. Aili had told Harry this would happen. There was a spell on all the Dark Arts books the prevented anyone outside Rowena's tower from reading them and only the person in charge of the wards could take the books out of the tower. It was something Aili had no control over since Rowena was the one who cast the spell. Still not looking up from his book Harry explained this to Draco. The only reason Draco didn't already know this was because he had been strangely absent most of the week and whenever he was around he was usually absorbed in his studies.

"Looking for a counter curse for Colin?" Draco asked wishing he could help look. Unfortunately there wasn't much he could do. The Hogwarts library wouldn't have information on such curses and he wasn't allowed in Rowena's tower.

"Yeah," Harry answered just as Dumbledore entered the room. "I've read five other books so far and I still haven't found anything to counteract that curse."

Draco would've responded but Dumbledore started the lesson. Harry didn't even bother to look up at what Dumbledore was supposedly teaching the class. The man was obviously trying to hinder their education for some reason but Harry still devoted some of his attention to what the old coot was saying. It was something he had learned to do early on in life at the Dursley's. It helped him to keep tabs on what was going on in the house so he could keep out of their way as much as possible.

"Harry," Dumbledore said about fifteen minutes into his lecture. Apparently he wasn't as blind as Harry previously thought if he had noticed Harry's lack of attention. "Am I boring you?"

"Do you want the truth or do you want me to lie?" Harry asked as he turned a page in his book. "Because I personally would think that the Headmaster of a school such as this would be far more concerned with a student who was attacked and nearly bled to death in his school rather than teaching a class. Under such circumstances I'd have thought that you'd at least call in a substitute or cancelled the class for a day or two with a homework assignment or something."

Dumbledore stared dumbfounded at Harry for several long moments. Most of the school by now had realized that whenever Dumbledore and Harry started conversing, fireworks usually went off. At that point everyone started watching the scene avidly. Draco however, usually had to fight to keep a smile off his face. Watching Dumbledore get taken down a peg by someone almost ten times younger than him was just absolutely hilarious to the blond.

"Harry," Dumbledore said finally finding his voice. "Of what attack do you speak? There have been no attacks on the students."

That actually made Harry stop reading. For a moment he just stared at his book in complete shock. Next to him Draco's public mask had actually shattered. He, along with the rest of the class, was staring at Dumbledore in complete and unadulterated shock, complete with their jaws on the floor. Harry reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a red and gold feather Fawkes had shed the other day and placed it in the book to mark his place. He closed the book and finally looked up at the Headmaster.

"Please, tell me that you aren't being serious?" Harry said hoping desperately that the man wasn't _that_ ignorant.

"Harry as far as I am aware there has been no attack on any students here," Dumbledore said and everyone's jaws fell just that much farther.

"Headmaster," Harry said with a sarcastic and stunned laugh. "Forgive me but I must ask, are you seriously that _blind_ and _stupid_?"

"Now see here!" Dumbledore said in outrage but Harry cut him off as he stood up.

"A student, a _first year_, was attacked in this school, a school you're _supposed_ to be in charge of and protect, and nearly bled to death on the sixth floor of this castle and you know _nothing_ about it?" Harry said incredulously. "The entire castle, with the exception of you apparently, knows that Colin Creevey is currently lying in a hospital bed under the constant care of Madame Pomfrey because he had his chest slashed open by a curse that not only created the wound but is preventing Madame Pomfrey's spells from closing the wound entirely. How the hell can you not know this?" Harry stared at the Headmaster in astonishment as he waited for an answer. When none seemed forthcoming and Dumbledore just stood there with his mouth open in shock Harry sighed in disgust. He bent down and grabbed his bag and threw it over his shoulder. "Perhaps, _Professor_," Harry lined the word with every ounce of contempt and disgust he could muster as he grabbed his book, Dark Curses and Their Effects Vol. 1, circa 1463. "You should spend a little less time plotting against a twelve year old and a little more time keeping an eye on the school and maybe things like this wouldn't happen." Harry turned to leave but turned back around to add, "Oh, and to answer your original question; I could learn more about Defense by reading a magazine about magical fish."

With that Harry left the classroom leaving a thoroughly abashed Dumbledore in his wake. To Harry's immense surprise the rest of the class followed as well. Harry had barely thought Draco would follow him out of the classroom let alone everyone else. Apparently Dumbledore didn't have as strong a hold on everyone in the class as he thought.

"I can't believe that fool had no idea about what happened to Colin," Draco said when he caught up to Harry. "The news spread like wildfire yesterday. How could he have not heard about it?"

"The idiot was obviously too wrapped up in his plots against me," Harry said looking down at his watch. It read 5:30. He had neglected to reset his watch after spending time in the forge on Sunday. "What time is it?" Harry asked turning to Draco.

"1:30," Draco answered. "Defense was our only class of the day."

"I suppose Dumbledore's negligence has some benefits," Harry has he started making his way towards the library. "I can at least spend the rest of the day looking for the counter curse." Harry turned to ask Draco what he was going to do with their spare time but found that his friend had disappeared already.

Harry smiled slightly as he turned to head towards the Hospital Wing instead of the library while he adjusted the time on his watch. He wondered if Draco would work up the nerve to tell him before the game tomorrow that he had made the Quidditch team. The only reason Harry already knew is because he had been looking for Draco one day and had found him at the Quidditch pitch for practice. Harry didn't blame Draco for not sharing though. Two days after Draco had made the team, Lucius had donated top of the line Nimbus 2001's to the entire team making it look like Draco had bought his way onto the team when he had got in on his own merits. Harry had snuck into a few practices to see how he played and saw that Draco was actually quite good.

"Hey Madame Pomfrey," Harry said as he walked into the Hospital Wing. "How's he doing today?"

"No change," Pomfrey said as she finished putting away the fresh stock of potions Severus had delivered via house elves. "He actually started to come out of unconsciousness on his own earlier but I didn't think he needed to suffer through this so I put him back under."

"Well at least he's well enough to wake up on his own," Harry said as he took a seat next to Colin's bed and started reading again. Not really realizing that he was doing so Harry stuck his feather bookmark behind his ear.

"Harry," Pomfrey said as she sat down on the edge of Colin's bed.

"Hmm?" Harry said to show he was listening even though he kept reading.

"Not to imply that you're heartless or anything," Pomfrey started off gently. "But you seem to be taking Colin's attack pretty personally and I was wondering why."

Harry sighed and looked up and Madame Pomfrey while making sure the wards were shielding their conversation incase Dumbledore decided to come out of his stupor and came to the Hospital Wing.

"To be perfectly honest I feel a little responsible," Harry said rubbing his neck in nervousness. He wasn't used to sharing his thoughts and feelings with adults. "I know I'm not actually responsible but if I hadn't sealed the entrances to the Chamber of Secrets to anyone but myself and those I approved of Colin wouldn't by lying there like that." Harry gestured to the gauze wrapped chest of Colin.

"And if You-Know-Who had gained access to the Chamber?" Pomfrey asked.

"I guess we'd still be here," Harry said after a few minutes of thought. "He'd find Orpheus gone and be just as pissed off. The only difference there might be is the person he attacked."

"Poppy," Came a call from the front of the ward. Harry and Pomfrey looked to the main doors to see Dumbledore striding through the doors looking upset and angry and his usual twinkle was missing. His demeanor changed dramatically and he stopped short when he saw Harry sitting and talking with Pomfrey. Harry lowered the wards and went back to reading.

"What can I do for you today Headmaster?" Madame Pomfrey asked as she stood up and went over to Dumbledore.

"Why didn't you inform me that a student had been attacked?" Dumbledore asked turning his focus from Harry to Pomfrey.

"I was a little preoccupied," Madame Pomfrey said not liking Dumbledore's tone. From that simple little statement Harry could tell she was getting riled up to rip Dumbledore a new one. "You know, saving the child's life and all. Seeing as how I was busy with that apparently insignificant task all week I guess I made the mistake of assuming that someone else had told you."

"Professor Snape said he left a note telling you to meet with him immediately on your desk," Harry chipped in. He kept his eyes on the book and tried desperately to keep a smile off his face. "He said you weren't in your office and when he checked with the elves they said you had left the castle on an errand. Perhaps you missed it what with all the running around you've done lately."

"There you go," Madame Pomfrey said waving a hand at Harry. "So don't come in here blaming me from something I have nothing to do with and the next time you come in here because of something like this you had better change your attitude or I will kick you out, Headmaster or no." Without bothering to apologize Dumbledore turned and stalked from the Hospital Wing.

"There is a perverse pleasure in doing that," Harry said when he was sure Dumbledore had gone.

"Perhaps," Pomfrey said in a stern tone but Harry caught the slight smile that tugged at the corners of her lips. Harry looked back down at his book and screamed in triumph, nearly giving Pomfrey a heart attack in the process. "What's wrong?"

"I found it!" Harry said standing up. "At least I think I found it. A Dark curse developed in the early thirteenth century, designed to inflict a large and deep gash on any part of the body and will prevent the wound from closing despite medical treatment."

"Let me see," Pomfrey said rushing to Harry's side

"You can't read it," Harry said though he didn't bother to prevent Pomfrey from reading over his shoulder. "Which is going to be a bit of a problem. The counter curse needs to be done by someone with medical training."

"Can't you just coach me through the counter curse?" Madame Pomfrey asked, more concerned with helping a patient then with why she couldn't read a book that Harry could.

"It's too complicated and one wrong move and it could worsen the curse or even kill him," Harry said looking up and into the distance. "Madame Pomfrey?"

"Yes Harry?" Pomfrey said giving Harry a strange look.

"Would you be willing to train me?" Harry said with a mischievous smile on his face.

–Scene Break–

Harry sat in the middle of the Slytherin stands cheering along with the rest of them. It was Slytherin vs. Gryffindor and the game was fairly even. Most of the Gryffindor team had more skill than Slytherin but the new brooms on the Slytherin team was giving the Gryffindors a challenge. Harry had a feeling Slytherin was going to win though, so long as the game stayed even. The Gryffindor's new seeker wasn't very good. He relied mostly on watching the opposing seeker and waiting to see if they spotted the snitch instead of looking for the little golden ball himself. Harry himself had spotted the elusive snitch more times than that boy. Harry figured there had to be slim pickings for the Gryffindor team to have put that boy on the roster.

Harry spotted the snitch floating at the base of the teacher tower across the field from him just before Draco did and shot after it. Something was off though. An uncomfortable and very disturbing chill was clutching at Harry's spine. Something bad was going to happen and Harry knew it. Harry quietly gathered the wards and directed them to shielding the students. When that was done he had them create a barrier between the stands and the field though not in such a way to interfere with the game. Just as the wards finished wrapping around the stands the base of one of the teacher stands exploded. If the wards hadn't been between the stands and the field the explosion would have killed Draco and the other seeker as they were passing right by the stand that exploded.

Before he could do anything more than blink the tower began to fall over and crush the students. Harry firmed the wards around the tower to keep it upright and stable but his concentration was disrupted when the rest of the towers exploded, including the one he was near. Harry quickly got back to his feet and solidified the wards to keep the towers from crushing everyone and making the pitch glow silver and green. Suddenly fire erupted above the pitch and began to form words:

_DEATH TO MUDBLOODS AND BLOOD TRAITORS_

The entire pitch was in chaos and the teachers were too high up to be of any assistance, not to mention they were dealing with trying not to fall off the towers they were in. Using the wards to amplify his voice Harry spoke to the students.

"Attention!" Harry's voice echoed throughout the entire pitch gaining the attention of the panicking students and frantic teachers as well as the parents who had come to watch the match. "All students evacuate the pitch and return to the castle immediately and please assist any injured parties to the Hospital Wing. Any faculty who is capable please assist the students."

Harry stood where he was while the rest of the students quickly filed out of the stands. He was doing his best to conserve his energy but the wards were requiring a lot of magic from him. They weren't meant to be physical manifestations, which is why he had been so dangerously exhausted magically on Halloween last year. Wards were meant to shield against magical attacks and intrusions by unwanted people, not to hold a structure together. For something like that they required more magic than they already possessed.

"Attention faculty and visiting parents," Harry said after most of the students had vacated the pitch, once again amplifying his voice through the wards. "Please use the constructed slide before you to reach the bottom of the pitch and then proceed to safety."

Harry deviated some of the wards around the pitch into creating the slides in front of the towers and then released the portion of wards he had set to guarding where the students had been. The release of those wards greatly reduced the amount of magic the wards were consuming from him and that allowed him to pay more attention to his surroundings. He saw hesitant teachers and parents approaching the slides. They were all touching and testing the slides and all Harry could do was stare in shock. That was until he saw Severus snapping at them for their stupidity and jumping down the slides himself. Harry couldn't help but laugh at that. When the all of the teachers and parents had made their way down to the ground Harry started to leave stands.

Suddenly the stands he was on exploded and Harry went flying. The explosion rendered Harry unconscious and without the focus to control the wards and keep them solid they released the towers. The second they were free the towers continued their collapse. Several of them fell onto the field but thankfully not on the teachers. A few fell backwards out of pitch and some collapsed sideways, further destroying the Quidditch pitch.

Severus, having seen where Harry had been standing controlling the wards, saw Harry go flying out of the pitch and went running after him. He found Harry lying in the grass a good distance from the pitch. Harry's face was scorched and cut in several places and had blood slowly flowing out of his nose and mouth. His robes were tattered and his glasses shattered. Harry's left arm and right leg were at slightly odd angles so Severus figured they were broken and he wouldn't be surprised if there were more broken bones. Gently lifting Harry into his arms, Severus took Harry to the castle. Just as he was entering the castle amongst the other teachers a bald eagle came down out of nowhere and landed on his shoulder. A little startled by the sudden presence Severus looked up at the bird and was about to shake it off but when he saw that it was staring directly at Harry and nothing else he decided to ignore it. That is until Fawkes suddenly appeared in a burst of flame on his other shoulder.

"I am not an aviary," Severus growled as he rolled his shoulders and dislodged both birds, both of whom flew ahead of him to the Hospital Wing.

"Severus!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed when Severus walked in. "Put him here. What happened?"

"The stands exploded just as he was leaving," Severus said as he laid Harry on the bed the Poppy had indicated, which happened to be the one where Fawkes and the eagle had perched.

Before Madame Pomfrey could start casting spells Harry jerked suddenly and opened his eyes. He turned his head left and right and clearly started panicking. He tried to move but froze with a small whimper of pain when pain lanced throughout his entire body. Harry started breathing fast and was quickly going from panicked to hysterical.

"Harry! Calm down!" Severus ordered as he grabbed Harry's head to keep him from breaking his neck. At hearing Severus' voice Harry froze.

"S-Severus?" Harry stuttered. He was staring off in the wrong direction but that wasn't what had both Severus and Madame Pomfrey concerned. What had them concerned was Harry's tone of voice. He sounded terrified, broken, and unbelievably hopeful all at the same time.

"It's me Harry," Severus answered the unspoken question. Harry closed his eyes and went limp in relief. Both Severus and Poppy ignored the tears that ran down Harry's face for the moment. Harry was quiet for several moments while he calmed down. Eventually Harry opened his eyes but he didn't look at anyone in particular.

"I can't see,"


	11. Chapter 11: Checkmate Albus

**Disclaimer: **The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me.

**A/N: **Alright everyone here's the new update. Thank you again everyone for the fabulous updates and making me laugh! It always brightens my day when I read your guys' reviews :-) I hope I didn't keep you guys waiting too long. Review and let me know what you think. Enjoy! :-)

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><p>CHAPTER SEVEN: CHECKMATE ALBUS<p>

"Let me in," Madame Pomfrey said gesturing Severus out of the way. She gently pulled Harry's eye open a little farther and shone light from her wand in his eyes. "Anything?" She asked when she was done. "Can you see anything at all?"

"No," Harry answered shaking his head slightly. "All I see is complete darkness. It's why I panicked."

"Why would that panic you?" Severus asked as he pulled up a chair. Poppy ran deeper scans on Harry's eyes while simultaneously casting spells on the rest of Harry's body to ascertain the damage done there.

"Because," Harry said fear lining his voice. "I was afraid I had imagined everything."

"How's your pain Harry?" Madame Pomfrey asked before Severus could ask what Harry was afraid he had imagined.

"Sadly," Harry said with a sad bloody smile. "I've endured worse so my body's learned to block the pain from these types of injuries."

Severus' and Poppy's faces both became stony and angry. Both of them knew what Harry was talking about and neither of them liked it. At the mention of Harry's past Severus thought he understood what Harry was afraid of. He was afraid that his mind had snapped and created a world where he was safe from his abusers and trapped himself there.

"Harry!" Three voices echoed from the doorway. Severus turned to see Draco, still outfitted in his Quidditch robes, Hermione, and Neville rushing towards them. As much as he wanted to Harry kept himself from moving his head to look towards the door. One it wouldn't have done him any good considering he couldn't see and two Madame Pomfrey was still scanning his eyes.

"Hey guys," Harry said instead raising his right arm slightly in welcome.

"What happened?" Draco asked standing at the foot of Harry's bed with the rest of them. Despite the attack at the pitch there weren't many students injured so the Hospital Wing was mostly empty since Madame Pomfrey had patched up any wounds received from the explosions.

"I think I'd like to know that as well," Another voice came from the doorway. Everyone but Harry and Madame Pomfrey turned to the doorway to see Dumbledore walking towards them.

"Not now," Harry groaned in annoyance.

"Headmaster explanations will have to wait. Mr. Potter here has some very serious injuries, least of which are his broken limbs." Madame Pomfrey said as she continued to try and repair Harry's eyes. In truth Harry's injuries were relatively mild. He had a few cracked ribs, the broken limbs, and his blindness and that was it. Madame Pomfrey was simply trying to stave off the Headmaster for the time being.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have insist on this Madame Pomfrey," Dumbledore said sternly making it clear that he wasn't to be denied in this instance.

"What do you want Headmaster?" Harry said resignedly. He still hadn't turned his head from Pomfrey even though she had gone from casting spells on his eyes to repairing the damage done to the rest of Harry's body.

"I want to know how you performed the magic you just performed." Dumbledore said looking seriously at Harry even though Harry couldn't see him. Draco, Hermione, and Neville had shifted from the foot of the bed to stand on the same side of the bed as Severus so as to stay out of Madame Pomfrey's way as well as Dumbledore.

"The same way you hop on one foot and sing Christmas carols." Harry said sarcastically turning his head to the other side which he instantly regretted given that side was the most heavily wounded. He quickly moved his head back to the other side, though he still supported a slight smirk on his face at his remark, as did his friends.

"Harry this is serious!" Dumbledore nearly growled.

"Why!" Harry suddenly snapped. He propped himself up on his good arm, wincing as he did so. Madame Pomfrey, Draco, and Severus all tried to get Harry to lay back down but he wasn't having any of it. Harry stared in what he thought was the direction of Dumbledore but was actually a few feet to the right. "Is it serious because I saved every life in this castle with the exception of Madame Pomfrey? Or is it serious because you weren't the shining hero this time? Or is it because you're so blindingly terrified that if you don't control me that I'll turn out exactly like Tom Riddle, the monster that you could never gather the spine to kill when you had the chance?" Harry may not be able to see but he could feel the absolute terror coming from the aged man before him. "Yes Headmaster, I know. You'd be surprised what you can learn if you simply open your ears in the right places. And you would be surprised at how much I actually know so perhaps you should leave me to rest before I decide to use that knowledge."

Everyone watched as an obviously shocked and terrified Dumbledore practically ran from the Hospital Wing. When he had disappeared they all turned their eyes to Harry in surprise. None of them had expected such words out of Harry's mouth.

"Can I have some pain reliever now?" Harry said sounding pathetic as he lowered himself back down onto the bed. "The adrenalin is wearing off."

"Harry," Severus said leaning forward in his seat as Madame Pomfrey rushed to the potions cabinet to retrieve several potions. "You do realize that if you keep pushing the Headmaster like that he will eventually push back instead of simply running away?"

"Yes I do." Harry managed to say before Madame Pomfrey started pouring potions down Harry's throat. When he downed the last one and was enjoying being pain free while Madame Pomfrey continued with her work on his broken bones Harry continued. "And that's the reason why I've been trying to avoid him as much as possible while I come up with a backup plan of sorts or to catch him so off guard that he backs down. Not the best of tactics I know but sometimes you have to work with what you have."

"Do you have any backup plans?" Severus asked.

"Sort of," Harry said with a wince as the bones in his arm snapped back together at an incantation from Poppy. "I'm not really sure how much use it would be but it would at least be something. I was actually planning on talking to you later about it." Harry was about to continue but Madame Pomfrey moved to his leg which was in much worse condition than his arm. When she repaired it Harry bit back a scream and gripped the bed sheets in pain.

"Alright," Madame Pomfrey said when Harry had calmed from the spike in pain. Potions could block only so much without causing neurological damage. "That's all of it. Your fractured ribs are healed but they'll be tender for a while. Your arm and leg are a different story. They are intact in one piece but they will be weak and could break again at the slightest provocation. Your arm will be in a sling for a while and, as I'm assuming you're going to insist on walking, I'm going to put your leg in a brace until it's strong enough. However I'm going insist you stay in bed for at least for the rest of the month in order for the leg to strengthen enough to support some wait. Right now any weight whatsoever will shatter your leg again."

"And my eyes?" Harry asked. He wasn't really surprised by her prognosis and it didn't really matter if he would be blind the entire time.

"I did what I could Harry but the eyes are one of the most delicate organs in the human body." Madame Pomfrey explained slowly and Harry could hear that she was upset that she couldn't do more for his eyesight. "It is possible that you will regain your vision but right now the nerves in your eyes are too damaged even with my assistance."

"Thank you Madame Pomfrey," Harry said with a slight smile.

"For what?" Pomfrey asked in confusion. She had just told Harry he might be permanently blind for the rest of his life, a thank you was not something she had been expecting.

"For doing what you could," Harry explained as he shifted himself into a more propped up position. "And being straight forward about my eyesight. Can't ask for much more than that."

"Harry," Pomfrey said in amazement as she looked down at Harry. "You are quite possibly the most shocking person I have ever met." With that she went off to find the brace for Harry's leg and a sling for his arm.

"Aili," Harry said reflexively looking above his head. When he didn't get an answer he added, "Don't give me that silent treatment, I know you're up there. I can feel the concern rolling off your feathers." That garnered an indignant squawk from the usually cold and detached bird and Harry heard a stifled snicker that sounded like Draco come from his right.

"What do you want?" Aili asked trying not to sound as ruffled as her feathers were.

"I know there are thousands of medical books in the library," Harry said not even trying to hide the smile on his face. "There has to be something there about healing eyes."

"So what if there is?" Aili said as Madame Pomfrey came back in and gently started to place Harry's arm in a sling. She set the leg brace on the nightstand next to the bed. Since he wouldn't be walking for a month it'd be pointless to put it on now but she wanted it close and somewhere she could easily find it when Harry started getting antsy. "You are the only one allowed in that library and you can't see so it'd be pointless to mention it."

"You're allowed in there and you can see perfectly fine." Harry reasoned.

"I…" Aili started to say before what Harry said and was implying. "Cheater," She said in a huff before flying out one of the Hospital Wing windows. Harry couldn't help but laugh when she had said that.

"Can I sit up please?" Harry asked when his laughing had died down. He immediately received help from Draco and Madame Pomfrey and was soon resting comfortably in a sitting position against several pillows.

"Harry," Severus said gaining everyone's attention as he stood up and moved to the foot of Harry's bed. "What is your idea for a backup plan?"

"Well," Harry said a little hesitantly. He wasn't sure if what he wanted to do could be done but he figured he might as well ask about it.

–Scene Break–

The first week of Harry's bed confinement went by fairly quickly since he spent most of his time sleeping off the magical strain from holding the Quidditch pitch together and then the physical strain of going through an explosion. Once he got half way through the second week though the boredom began to set in and that was when Harry decided to do some exploring. He delved into the wards of the castle and was immediately provided with a clear image of anything he wanted, along with audio. It was rather similar to having a television in his head.

Smiling slightly Harry wandered the halls of Hogwarts through the wards until he located Draco fighting to stay awake in History of Magic class. Harry couldn't help but chuckle when Draco lost the fight and ended up clonking his head on the desk in front of him, which of course only served to wake him up.

"Harry," A voice called drawing Harry out of the wards and back to his body.

"Yes?" Harry answered looking towards the source of the voice he thought was Severus'.

"I wanted to let you know that your plan is possible," Severus informed Harry quietly as he sat down next to Harry's bed. "We'd have to move quickly and quietly though. It's actually quite simple to put into effect; it's the moving without alerting anyone that's making it difficult.

"Understandable," Harry said with a nod. He had expected as much.

"I will give you more details later when we have more time," Severus said and Harry heard rustling and figured Severus had stood up.

"Thank you, Severus, for doing this for me." Harry said as Severus walked out. He heard Severus pause before leaving the Hospital Wing entirely. Harry smiled a sad smile and hoped that one day Severus would become a little less jaded than he was.

–Scene Break–

Harry was completely and utterly bored. There was no way around it. It had been two and a half weeks since he had been sentenced to bed confinement and even though his sentence was almost over he was still hopelessly bored. He usually spent most of his time watching the classes he would usually take with Draco through the wards. Most of the time it kept his mind distracted enough to allow the days to pass easily but there were days, like today, where he just couldn't help the boredom. Everyone was in class, Madame Pomfrey was doing stuff in her office, and Harry had no interest in listening to any of the classes.

"Harry Potter," A high squeaky voice said.

"Nyah!" Harry said in shock as he jerked out of his stupor and shot up into a sitting position from his slightly raised position. His body was a little stiff and protested slightly to the sudden movement. "Who's there?" He hadn't heard or sensed anyone entering the Hospital Wing so he hadn't expected any voices.

"My name is Dobby sir," The squeaky voice, Dobby apparently, said.

"Who's Dobby?" Harry asked just as the wards showed him an image of who he was talking to. "You're that elf I met on Halloween aren't you?"

"Yes sir," Dobby answered.

"You're not the one who blew up the Quidditch pitch are you?" Harry asked with narrowed eyes.

"No sir!" Dobby assured hurriedly. "Dobby would do no such thing Harry Potter. Dobby only wished to get Harry Potter out of the castle and away from danger."

"You know who's doing these things don't you Dobby?" Harry asked as he adjusted his pillows so he could relax against them while sitting up. Unfortunately before Dobby could answer footsteps came from the Hospital entrance and Dobby vanished with a slight pop.

"Damn it," Harry swore as he slumped backwards. He almost crossed his arms in irritation but when his left arm throbbed in pain Harry remembered why he hadn't been moving his left arm for the past two and a half weeks.

"I didn't realize you disliked my presence so much," A sarcastic voice drawled.

"Well I can hardly dislike a presence when I can't see who's in the room," Harry retorted with a smirk as he turned to look in the direction of who he knew to be Draco.

"Like you need to be able to see in order to tell that it's me," Draco said with a small chuckle. "So what's got your wand in a knot this afternoon?"

"Well first of all I've been bored as hell all freaking day," Harry explained. "Then that crazy house elf that tried hijack our carriage at the beginning of the year nearly gives me a bloody heart attack. At least I managed to get its name before it ran off."

"Mind sharing?" Draco asked as he rummaged around in his bag for something.

"He said his name was Dobby." Harry said. He waited for a response but the only response he got was sudden silence. Harry looked through the wards and saw that Draco had frozen and was looking at Harry in what appeared to be disbelief. "Draco what is it?"

"Dobby!" Draco suddenly called.

"Master Draco called?" A squeaky voice said rather nervously after a sharp pop.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Harry said drawing the attention of both Draco and Dobby. "He's _your_ elf?"

"Yes," Draco said looking down at Dobby. "And he's lucky I'm the one to discover this. If father had caught him he very well may have been killed."

"Please Master," Dobby suddenly wailed throwing himself at Draco's feet. "Dobby only meant to help. Dobby knew you wouldn't get hurt. Dobby was just trying to keep you safe."

"Dobby stop," Draco ordered and Dobby instantly obeyed. Harry was watching the whole thing through the wards. "Listen to me," Draco ordered again and Dobby stopped sobbing after a few moments and looked up. "I understand you were trying to help and I am grateful for that but what I need now is for you to tell me what you know about what my father has planned for the school."

"Dobby does not know much sir," Dobby said as he wrung his hands. "Dobby only knows that Master's father was planning a repeat of history but things haven't gone the way he expected."

"Do you know how he was going to bring about this repeat of history?" Harry asked gently so as to not startle the elf.

"Only that it was through some sort of book," Dobby said when Draco nodded for him to answer the question.

"And you're sure there's nothing else you know about this?" Draco asked just to be sure.

"Yes Master Draco," Dobby said as he pulled on his ear.

"Ok," Draco said with a nod. "You may go then but under no circumstances should you tell father that you told me or Harry anything about this and no more scary pranks ok?"

"Yes Master Draco," Dobby said and then popped away.

"Well at least we got some information out of him and don't have to worry about falling skeletons anymore." Harry reasoned as he looked at Draco, or tried to at least. "And now we know what we're looking for."

"Yeah," Draco said as he leaned back in his seat and processed what he learned. "So," Draco said snapping out of his thoughts and turning to Harry. "I got the rest of the day. What shall we talk about?" Harry couldn't help but laugh at his friend.

–Scene Break–

The Hospital Wing was dark and quiet. It was just before midnight on the day before Harry was due to be free from the Hospital wing and Harry was sleeping soundly with his leg propped up on a pillow and his arm resting comfortably on his chest. Given the late hour it was no wonder that no one noticed the faint shadow moving through the darkness. The shadow moved down the ward before coming to stop at the food of Harry's bed.

"I'm sorry to have to do this my boy but you were right," The shadow, Dumbledore, said as he raised a wand.

Dumbledore froze in his movements when something caught his attention. It wasn't a movement but a sound. It was low, deep, and nearly inaudible but it was just loud enough for the figure to hear and it sounded similar to thunder but much, much more threatening and quiet. Dumbledore turned towards the source of the sound and saw a pair of glowing golden eyes boring into him. The eyes moved forward and into a patch of moonlight revealing the body that went with the eyes. It was a fully grown male African lion.

"How did you get in here?" Dumbledore asked, fear evident in his voice.

The lion stopped in the patch of moonlight that filtered in through the window and stared at Dumbledore with narrowed golden eyes and Dumbledore stared back. The lion growled again, this time in warning. Dumbledore made the mistake of raising his wand again and actually firing a curse. The curse bounced off the lion's fur at the same time the lion let out a massive roar that shook the glass in the windows and even the beds along the walls of the ward. Harry shot up in bed with his wand in his good hand pointing out in front of him and the lights in the ward snapped on.

"What're you doing here?" Harry demanded, not realizing he was seeing things from his perspective.

"What is going on in here?" Madame Pomfrey demanded as she came rushing into the ward with her wand drawn and at the ready. "Headmaster? What're you doing here so late at night?"

"I was checking on Harry–" Dumbledore started but was cut off by an angry growled from Kane.

"Is that why I found you about to curse Harry?" Kane rumbled as he stalked closer to Dumbledore, forcing the man to back away. "Is that how you 'check' on the students you're supposed to protect?"

"I-I-" Dumbledore stuttered in shock. He obviously hadn't been expecting Kane to speak and rat him out.

"Headmaster is that true?" Madame Pomfrey asked in shock.

Dumbledore didn't answer as he was focused on Kane who kept stalking slowly towards him. When they reached the door Kane roared once again effectively scaring Dumbledore into running away. After a few minutes Kane relaxed his posture and padded back over to Harry's bed.

"Are you well?" Kane asked as he sat down next to Harry's bed since he couldn't actually get into the bed with Harry.

"Yes," Harry said as he reached over and scratched Kane behind the ears.

"Harry?" Madame Pomfrey said curiously as she approached Harry's bed. "Can you see?"

"What?" Harry asked in confusion as he looked up at Madame Pomfrey.

"Can you see?" Pomfrey asked again.

"Of course," Harry said seconds before his brain actually woke up and registered everything going on. Madame Pomfrey rushed forward to start scanning his eyes but stopped when she got close enough to actually see his eyes. "What?" Harry asked when he saw how shocked Madame Pomfrey was.

Madame Pomfrey didn't say anything. She just waved her wand to conjure a mirror and handed it to Harry. Harry took the mirror with a strange look at Pomfrey before looking into the mirror, where he understood her shock. His eyes had become marbled in two different colors: emerald green and silver with the silver glowing ever so slightly.

"Are they still damaged?" Harry asked looking up at Madame Pomfrey. She leaned forward and started scanning Harry's eyes to check out their condition.

"Yes," She answered a few minutes later still in shock. "There's no change in their condition."

Harry sat there thinking for several minutes until it hit him. "The wards." Upon realizing this Harry sought his connection to the wards and found that they were indeed acting as his eyes.

"What about them?" Pomfrey asked drawing Harry's attention back to his surroundings.

"They recognized the danger I was in without my eyes and came to my aide," Harry explained with a slight smile.

"Wouldn't you have to direct the wards into doing such a thing?" Madame Pomfrey asked as she sat down on the edge of Harry's bed, being mindful of Harry's tender leg.

"No," Harry said with a shake of his head. "Wards are essentially living magic. They are partially sentient but only to the point of a small child, that's why they usually require a caregiver. But wards are most certainly capable of acting on their own, especially when it comes to protecting their caregiver if they're incapable of doing so themselves."

"Fascinating," Madame Pomfrey said in true amazement. "However, as fascinating as that is, it is late and you need your rest. Tomorrow is Saturday and you have a busy day."

"Right you are Madame Pomfrey," Harry said through a yawn. "Good night Madame Pomfrey."

"Good night Harry," Madame Pomfrey said as she waved her wand to turn off the lights and then walked out of the ward.

–Scene Break–

"Are you alright?" Severus asked the next afternoon as he stabilized Harry when they came out of the floo network.

"Yeah," Harry said clinging to Severus' arm. "Just not used to walking around without being able to see."

"Well we thought the wards influence would only extend to Hogwarts grounds," Severus responded as he subconsciously checked Harry over before leading them slowly out of the fireplace and towards the main counter. "Though their influence seems to have permanently altered your eyes," Severus added when he noticed that Harry's eyes were still silver and green but without the slight glow the silver had.

"That's alright," Harry said with a slight smile. "I kind of like it." Severus didn't respond to that but Harry could feel the man's amusement.

"We have an appointment," Severus said to what Harry assumed was one of the goblins that ran the bank. "Severus Snape and Harry Potter."

There was silence for a moment before the goblin said, "This way."

The goblin led them into what Harry assumed to be a back room. Severus guided Harry into a chair before taking his own seat. So far Harry's leg had been holding up but it was extremely tender to walk on. The brace Madame Pomfrey had placed on his leg was a great assist towards helping to keep the wait off of it but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"Afternoon," The gruff voice of a different goblin said. "As I understand it you are here for a full inventory for Mr. Potter's estate?"

"Yes," Severus answered at the same time Harry nodded.

"Very well," The goblin said as he rifled through some papers. "I will require some of your blood to verify your identity as well as to determine how many accounts you have with us."

Having expected such a request Harry easily extended his good hand. He felt Severus gently take hold of his wrist and guided it where the goblin needed. Then he felt a blade run across the palm of his open hand. Harry's heart rate spiked momentarily at the feeling of a blade across his skin but he quickly reminded himself that he wasn't at the Dursley's anymore and this wasn't a part of any punishment for a perceived wrong. This was part of a plan to keep Dumbledore in check.

"Are you alright?" Severus asked quietly after the goblin had gotten the blood he needed. He had noticed the spike in Harry's pulse.

"Yes," Harry answered as Severus mended Harry's palm.

"You are his guardian yes?" The goblin asked. After receiving an affirmative from both Harry and Severus the goblin, who still had yet to provide his name, went over to what sounded like a filing cabinet to Harry and started rifling through folders. "Well, well, well," The goblin said in what sound as not only shock but also respect. "It appears as if there are several dormant and unclaimed vaults aside from the Potter vault that you are eligible claim…" The goblins voice trailed off.

"What?" Harry asked, though he had a fairly good idea as to why the goblin had trailed off the way he had.

"Including the first four accounts ever opened at this bank," The goblin said in amazement. "You are heir to the founders of Hogwarts."

"Well isn't that a twist?" Harry said sounding perfectly taken off guard. He had a very slight smirk on his face though. "Is that going to turn out to be a problem?"

"Good heavens no," The goblin said. "It's just entirely unexpected. All this means is that you… well you own Hogwarts. And as the owner of Hogwarts, since it is not required that you be of age, you will have a say in who gets hired, who gets fired, and even what new policies are put into place by the board. Should you have proper cause and viable evidence you even have the authority to fire someone on the spot. Mr. Potter," The goblin paused and Harry heard him lean forward in his seat. "Should you choose to claim all these vaults, which as you cannot see is around twenty vaults including the founders vaults and the vault they set up specifically to fund Hogwarts, you will become not only absurdly wealthy but also a very prominent and powerful wizard in Wizarding society. Now I must ask," The goblin paused to emphasize how serious he was. "Do you wish to claim everything on this list?"

Harry smiled and it was beyond vicious.

–Scene Break–

Dumbledore sat behind his desk in his office on Saturday afternoon taking care of paperwork and trying desperately not to think of anything else when a large grey owl flew in through his window and perched on his desk. It stood there staring at him with seemingly judgmental eyes with a letter baring the seal of the Ministry of Magic tied to its leg. After holding a small staring contest with the owl, which he lost, Dumbledore untied the letter from the owl's leg and opened it.

_Dear Headmaster,_

_This letter is to inform you that you have been stripped of all rights as magical guardian of one Harry James Potter._

_The Department of Magical Family Services_

_Mary Silverman _

Dumbledore barely had time to register that letter when another owl flew into his office, this one baring a letter with the Gringotts on it.

_Dear Headmaster _(Dumbledore was actually beginning to hate the title)_,_

_This letter is to inform you that you no longer have access to the founders' vaults as they have all been claimed. You now only have access to the vault that the founders set up specifically to fund Hogwarts and by decree of the owner of Hogwarts all withdrawals, purchases, and payments will be strictly watched and monitored to be sure that the money in the vault is being used to support Hogwarts and Hogwarts alone. _

_Sincerely, _

_The Goblins of Gringotts_

Dumbledore got up went over to his fireplace and immediately started making calls.

–Scene Break–

Harry was in the middle of sitting down on his bed in the Hospital Wing with Severus' assistance when the doors slammed open; Harry may have been clear to start walking again but Pomfrey wanted him under her watchful eye until he was fully healed. Harry started and looked up to see Dumbledore storming into the ward.

"What is this?" Dumbledore demanded as he shoved a piece of paper at Severus. Harry looked a little closer and saw the seal of the Ministry of Magic on the letter.

"It appears to be a letter Headmaster," Severus responded snidely. "You usually read them."

"How is it that you're suddenly both legal and magical guardian to a child you have no business being guardian of? Especially with your history?" Dumbledore clarified, ignoring the snide remarks from Severus.

"You made it easy Headmaster," Severus answered seriously. "What with his previous guardians being incapable muggles and all. Of course I was put through a rather rigorous interrogation before they allowed me to be his guardian but when they saw my sincerity in wishing to care for him they saw no reason not to make me his guardian. After all they couldn't argue with the word of Albus Dumbledore vouching for me."

"You're fired," Dumbledore growled. "And I'm having you arrested."

"No he's not and no you aren't," Harry interjected as he lifted his bad leg onto the bed and stuffed pillow under it to try and make it comfortable. He definitely wouldn't be walking any more today and probably not tomorrow either. His leg was unbelievably sore and tender.

"You have no say in this," Dumbledore growled dismissively. He was still staring at Severus so he missed the smile that graced Harry's lips. Harry had specifically asked the goblins at the bank not to mention who the owner of Hogwarts was in their letter for this exact reason. He wanted to see the look on the old man's face when he learned who it was.

"Actually I do," Harry said with a vicious smile on his face just as Draco, Hermione, and Neville walked in. Dumbledore turned his head to look at Harry this time but Harry continued before Dumbledore could speak. "As the owner of Hogwarts I have the authority to interfere and in every aspect of this school, including hiring and firing of faculty. Furthermore as Hogwarts is a separate entity from the Ministry of Magic I also have every right to house, protect, and provide amnesty to anyone I choose. Now naturally most schools wouldn't be able to do such a thing, especially in today's world, however back when Hogwarts was first built the land was ravaged by war and the founders put such rules into place so as to protect students, teachers, and families alike and those rules have not changed… and they're not going to either. Even if Severus leaves Hogwarts' grounds the Ministry will not be able to arrest him should you choose to rescind your backing."

Dumbledore actually looked ill and for once his age. His usually vibrant white hair and beard was suddenly dull and listless. His sky blue eyes that always seemed to see right through you looked more of a dull grey than anything else and seemed drained of any power.

"How is this possible?" Dumbledore said barely above a whisper.

"To be frank Headmaster I'm surprised you didn't discover it back when you were obsessed with digging into people's genealogy," Harry said with a raised eyebrow. Harry didn't think it was possible but Dumbledore actually started to look green. "After all that usually is how someone inherits something isn't it?" Harry waited for a response but all Dumbledore did was stare in complete shock. "Anyways that doesn't matter. What does matter though is how you proceed from here Headmaster. If I were you I'd tread lightly. Checkmate."

Even though he was still obviously in shock Dumbledore's subconscious mind recognized the dismissal for what it was and he made his way out of the room looking the picture of dejection. His shoulders were slumped, his steps were slow but not lingering, and his eyes were dull and void of life. No one in the world could look as defeated as Dumbledore did walking out of the Hospital Wing. Not even when he had publicly shamed himself at the beginning of the year by openly attacking Harry in front of the entire student body compared to this. This was a man who had hit rock bottom after almost a full century of being in a position of power. He had lost completely. All his plans and all his schemes were now completely void and worthless. It truly was, in every sense of the word, checkmate.


	12. Chapter 12: Holidays?

**Disclaimer:** The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me

**A/N: **Ok everyone I hope I didn't keep you guys in suspense for too long but Christmas demanded my attention. As late gift to you all at this fabulous time of year here is the new update. I hope you guys love. To Sunsethill first of all I do love your reviews they are very helpful and often funny. Also I wanted you to know that I did understand that you wanted Kane to pounce on Dumbledore but I decided to use that idea in this chapter to further my plot line :) To Ladysavay I apologize for making Harry seem frail that was not my intent and I wanted to let you know that I don't have any plans for Harry to be hospitalized the way he has been and I hope I haven't put you off on my story. NOW on to the reading! lol Please review and let me know what you guys think. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good read!

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><p>CHAPTER EIGHT: HOLIDAYS?<p>

Harry limped through the secret passages of Hogwarts, using Kane to lean on, until he came to Rowena's tower and her library. About a week into December Madame Pomfrey had finally allowed Harry to move about freely under the stipulation that he not push his leg or arm.

"Aili?" Harry called when he entered the library. "Are you in here?"

"Yes," Came a curt reply deep from within the stacks. Harry meandered over to where the medical section of the library was and found Aili perched on a ladder and scanning the titles of the books there. Scattered on the floor were some more books that Harry assumed Aili had been looking through.

"Have you been here this whole time?" Harry asked in amazement.

"I have taken time to myself," Aili answered. "It hasn't taken up as much time as you would think. I was here when Rowena acquired most of these books and I usually read along with her so I can recall the content of the books simply by looking at the titles. Some of the newer ones though have required me to actually look through."

"Well you have my deepest thanks for doing this Aili," Harry said as he stepped around the books. He'd have picked them up but it wasn't easy for him to bed down with his leg. "I know you didn't really have to."

"Yes well," Aili said without looking away from the stacks. "I would be remiss if I didn't do something to help."

Harry smiled as he started to look at the books on the shelves. He took one off the shelf and perused through it for a few pages, occasionally skipping large sections that were irrelevant, before putting it back. This process went on for several minutes before Harry's good leg got too sore from supporting all of his weight. With Kane's assistance Harry managed to maneuver himself into a sitting position on the floor. Once he was down there he gathered up all the books on the floor and stacked them neatly before setting them aside so he could shelve them later.

The hours slowly slipped by as Harry rifled through books looking for something to help his eyesight. Don't get him wrong the wards were great for helping him to see but it was rather disorienting to have a random image from somewhere else in the castle flit across his vision when he was trying to walk to the bathroom. Such was his reasoning for sitting on the floor of the library well into the afternoon.

"You should go down and get something to eat," Kane said when it had reached four in the afternoon.

"Probably," Harry said putting the book he had been reading back on the shelf and grabbing another one. Instead of reading it though he stuck it under his arm and got to his feet. "Are you going to stay up here Aili?"

"For a little while longer," Aili responded sparing a glance at Harry. "And then I will go hunt in the forest."

"Good evening then Aili," Harry said and then made his way out of the library, catching the slightly warm good evening Aili had said back and smiling.

–Scene Break–

The days slowly dwindled past as Harry spent most of his time in Rowena's library assisting Aili in searching for anything that might restore his eyesight. With each passing day Harry grew stronger and stronger. He was capable of putting more weight on his leg and Madame Pomfrey had allowed his arm free of the sling it had been but she had yet to clear him to return to class yet. Frankly that was fine with Harry. Christmas holidays were only a few short days away so there wasn't much of a point in returning right now and Harry could easily catch up with the homework; in fact he was ahead of some of his classes, like potions. It also freed Harry up to do research on his eyes, which he was currently doing.

"Check this one," Aili called from her perch on the ladder. It was well past the time Harry should have gone to bed but he wasn't the least bit tired. For some reason he couldn't discern Harry simply could not get any sleep lately. He'd lay awake for hours on end staring at the ceiling in the Hospital Wing until either morning came or he decided to wander off.

"Which one?" Harry asked as he climbed the ladder to where Aili was.

"That one there," Aili said pointing with one of her wings. "Medical Magic of Africa, it is not one I recall but it looks promising."

Harry reached out and took out the book from its shelf. He stabilized himself on the ladder and flipped to the table of contents. Harry had learned over the past several days that simply going through the table of contents was a big asset for eliminating books. When he saw a section devoted solely to eyes he quickly flipped to the page the section started on and started reading. That was another reason why Harry wished to have his normal eyesight back. The wards made it rather difficult to read. They had a tendency to focus mostly images and sound not written words so it took a lot of his concentration to make the words clearer. With an effort Harry managed to make out certain words on the page.

"Aili," Harry said with a slight smile. "You are fabulous." Harry startled Aili by giving her a peck on her beak and ruffling her feathers before climbing down the ladder and making his way out of the library, slightly limping as he went.

Harry made his way through the tunnels with Kane following next to him. As he walked he heard the distant rustling of feathers that told him Aili had chosen to follow him. Harry pushed open the door that would lead him to the Hospital Wing. When he opened the door he saw that the sun was starting peak over the horizon; that was when Harry realized that he had been up all night long and still he didn't feel the slightest bit tired.

"Weird," Harry muttered to himself as he walked down the ward towards Madame Pomfrey's office, she was usually up at the crack of dawn so she could get a jump start on paperwork and maintaining her ward.

When Harry reached the ward and Madame Pomfrey's office he stopped, a feeling of apprehension gripping him. It was a feeling Harry had learned within the first years of his life to trust. Many, many times this feeling had saved Harry from death at the hands of Vernon. It was a feeling that whispered "_danger_" into his ears. Cautiously Harry approached the door to Pomfrey's office. The closer he got the more worried he became. Harry could feel waves of Dark magic coming from behind the door. Seriously concerned for Madame Pomfrey but not stupid Harry gently took hold of the doorknob and opened the door as quietly as possible.

Inside Harry found a dark, cloaked figure standing next to Madame Pomfrey, whose throat had been slashed. All of Harry's instincts screamed at him to draw his wand and attack but for some reason Harry found himself paralyzed as the cloaked figure slowly turned to face him. The figure let out a dark chuckle as it raised its wand and let loose a curse.

Harry violently jerked awake with a small scream. He looked around him desperately and found that he was still in Rowena's library. Evidently he had fallen asleep while he went through the medical books and was using Kane as a pillow. Slowly Harry's heart rate returned to normal and he sat up. He ran a hand through his hair and stood up. He picked up the book he had been going through and climbed the ladder to put it away. Harry was extremely careful to not jostle the ladder as he climbed since Aili had perched herself on the very top and had fallen asleep.

Just as Harry was about to descend the ladder he noticed the title of a book on the other side: Medical Magic of Africa. Out of sheer unadulterated curiosity Harry plucked the book off the shelf. Before he could read it though that same feeling he had experienced in the dream seized him with a strength it never had before. His heart started pumping adrenalin into his system with a fury and the hair on the back of Harry's neck stood up as if he had stuck his finger into a live electrical socket.

Not wasting any time Harry quickly stuffed the book into his inside robe pocket and descended the ladder, jostling Aili as he went. He ignored her annoyed protests at being rudely woken up and dashed out of the library as best he could with his tender leg. As strong as it had become over the past several weeks it still got sore if pushed too much.

Harry dashed through the secret passages as fast as he could without destroying his leg a second time. Within minutes Harry crossed the hidden door leading to Hospital Wing. He paused half way down the ward to catch his breath and to prepare himself for a fight. As much as he disliked doing so Harry summoned the Elder Wand from the box he created that he had stored in Godric's rooms. Harry would have preferred to use his own wand but he had yet to practice with any major offensive spells with his holy and phoenix wand but he knew many incantations from reading several books in Rowena's library, especially Dark spells.

Harry was drawn from his thoughts when he felt waves of Dark magic coming from behind the main doors of the Hospital Wing. He shielded his presence, along with Kane and Aili, with the wards and moved to stand in front of Madame Pomfrey's office doors and waited.

The aura of Dark magic kept growing stronger and Harry took that to mean that the source was moving closer. In mere seconds the doors to the Hospital Wing silently glided open just enough to allow a lone figure cloaked in a black hooded robe to walk through the doors. Upon seeing the figure Harry grew slightly confused. In his dream the figure had been the size of a fully grown man but this figure was much smaller, smaller than him in fact, almost the size of a first year.

"The magic coming off of that person is of the most vile," Kane rumbled as the figured moved into the main ward. Harry got the distinct feeling that the figure was after him not Madame Pomfrey. "I have not encountered such cruel and evil magic in centuries."

"Nor have I," Aili added from her perch upon Kane's head.

"_It's him,_" Orpheus hissed with immense disgust. "_I recognize it from when he entered the Chamber fifty years ago. Even back then the child reeked of this vile magic but had somehow managed to mask it from everyone else in the castle._"

"But how has be become the size of a first year?" Harry wondered as he watched the figure go from bed to bed. It was obvious that the person was looking for Harry.

Before anyone could respond the figure started tearing into one of the beds with a dagger. Stuffing and feathers filled the air around the diminutive figure for several seconds before the figure stopped and started back down the ward. Deciding to act Harry directed the wards into sealing Madame Pomfrey's office, rooms, and the main doors to the Hospital Wing, effectively trapping the figure.

"Hello Tom," Harry said laying emphasis on Riddle's given name as he revealed his presence but kept Kane and Aili hidden and protected. "Rather curious to find you here and in such a… condition." Tom froze upon seeing Harry.

"How do you know me?" Came an unexpectedly female voice. Suddenly many pieces of the puzzle about this year fell into place within Harry's mind. He had been so distracted by recent events that he hadn't seen it before. Whatever the book that Lucius had snuck into Ginny Weasley's possession was somehow possessing the girl. The question that remained was how was it Tom Riddle that was within the Weasley child?

"We all have our secrets Tom," Harry deflected. Now way was he about to divulge anything to this man. Harry felt a Legilimency probe attempting to enter his mind and he immediately tightened his shields. "You really should learn not to enter people's minds without their permission. It's not polite."

Tom growled and let fly a curse that Harry recognized. It was a simple curse but nowhere near friendly. It was meant to cause a burning sensation throughout the victim's body. Harry raised the Elder Wand and easily deflected the curse.

"Tell me Tom," Harry said keeping his cool as he deflected another curse. That one was much more dangerous and it went flying through one of the windows shattering the glass as it went. "How are you managing to possess someone through a book?"

For some reason this through Riddle into a rage and he started firing spells at Harry with rapid speed. Taken off guard by the sudden brigade Harry went on the defensive. He dodged out of the way of the first few spells and immediately erected a shield, for which he was immediately grateful. The first set of spells he had dodged ran right into the main doors of the Hospital Wing, striking the wards the kept them sealed. The strength behind the spells was enough to cause the wards to weaken to the point where Harry's vision started flickering. Harry hastily erected more shields to protect himself and he mentally sought out his link to the wards and started speaking to them.

_Don't just block the spells, _Harry said mentally to the wards. He knew that the wards no more intelligent than a toddler but he knew that they would understand the meaning of his words. _Take the magic thrown at you and make it your own. Absorb the magic in the spells and make it make you stronger._ It was a complicated concept to do, even for the most experienced of wizards, but Harry knew that it could be done. The wards were pure magic designed to protect and shield but Harry knew that magic was unbridled in its ability to adapt and change. Magic could do anything it wanted to if it decided. It was in the wielders imagination that magic became limited.

Returning his attention to his surroundings Harry fed some magic into the wards to return them to their prior strength so he could see. He saw that his shields were beginning to crack under the constant assault of Riddle's spells. Harry took a battle stance, prepared himself mentally, and began his end of the battle. Every spell he had ever read flooded the forefront of Harry's mind.

Harry flexed his wand and his shields shattered just as one of Riddle's spells made contact. Before Riddle could take advantage of the opening Harry flicked his wand downward and every shard of his shields, which had been hovering in midair, took life and reformed into half triangle around Harry. The spells that Riddle had fired upon seeing the opening came into contact with the point of the triangle and split in two around Harry leaving the shields entirely undamaged. Harry felt a spike in energy from the wards as half the spell hit the wards guarding Madame Pomfrey's quarters.

As Riddle continued to fire increasingly more dangerous spells at Harry in an attempt to break the shields Harry began to work more magic. He swept his wand left to right then right to left, vertically downward then vertically upward and then in a large circle. Then he started drawing complex patterns in the air that only he could see in his mind's eye. Underneath his battle mentality Harry almost felt as if he were conducting a symphony. As Harry continued to draw symbols the room started to come alive. The shadows started moving throughout the room and a cold crawling wind started circling throughout the room.

This was old magic that Harry was conducting, older than the founders by centuries if not millennia. The book Harry had gotten the information from was only a few centuries older than the age of the founders but Harry could feel the ancient consciousness of the magic flowing through him and it felt older, possibly older than Merlin himself.

Harry spun in a circle and thrust his wand in front of him. The shadows in the room instantly responded. They circled Riddle and formed the symbol Harry had written in the air: a circle cut into quarters with dozens of runes inscribed throughout. The spells Riddle had been uselessly firing at Harry immediately stopped working. Before Riddle could realize what was going on Harry raised his hands slowly. The shadows responded once again. They formed several dark crystallized spears around Riddle, immobilizing him in a standing position and encasing his hands to prevent him from trying to cast more spells. With one last move Harry slammed his hands down and a crystalline cage made of shadows came into existence with a loud bang.

"Now that I have your attention," Harry said when the magic was complete. He dismissed his shields and walked closer to the possessed Weasley. He also lowered the wards guarding the main doors and as well as Poppy's office and rooms. "Perhaps we can talk." All Harry got in response was a low groan of what sounded like someone coming out of unconsciousness. He was about to ask something when the doors leading to Poppy's rooms flung open.

"What in the name of Merlin is going on in this ward?" Pomfrey demanded as she waved her wand to turn on the lights. Harry hurriedly counteracted the spell.

"Don't turn on the lights," Harry said as he lit the tip of his wand in order to provide some illumination. Any sort of lighting would weaken the shadow magic he had used to create the cage but it could tolerate minute amounts of light.

"Harry James Potter," Madame Pomfrey said a tone of exasperation in her voice as she made her way towards Harry's wand light. "I swear this ward has seen more activity with you here than any other time since it was created."

"I apologize Madame Pomfrey," Harry said unable to keep his amusement from his voice. "But it's not like I have any say over it or anything."

"So what's going on this time?" Pomfrey asked as she lit her own wand, waving aside Harry's apology.

"Where am I?" Ginny Weasley spoke before Harry could reply. She sounded genuinely confused and scared.

"It appears," Harry said directing his answer to Madame Pomfrey for the moment. "That Miss Weasley here was being possessed and being forced into attacking the school." As he spoke he felt Orpheus slither out of his pant leg and out of the corner of his eye saw him enter the shadow cage.

"By Merlin!" Madame Pomfrey said in shock. "And it was you-know-who that was possessing her? But how?"

"_Through this,_" Orpheus hissed from within the cage. He slithered out of the cage with a black leather bound book wrapped in his coils.

Unfortunately the second the book crossed the lines of the cage it started struggling and Orpheus was forced to release it and slither away lest he get hurt. The runes Harry had placed on the floor of the cage kept any active magic dormant so the prisoner wouldn't be able to escape using magic. Harry believed that to be the reason why the Weasley girl had returned to her senses inside the cage. This however was unexpected. The book started releasing clouds of black smoke that started to rise and take the shape of a human.

Before it could go any further Harry once again took hold of the shadow magic he had wielded to create the cage and out of the darkness he pulled a sword. For the most part it looked like any other sword that had ever been made; except for the blade. Where the cage and even the handle of the sword glinted in the little light that was in the room, the blade seemed to absorb the light. It was a black hole made solid and just by looking at it one could feel its cruel edge.

Harry raised the sword and with force brought it down, cleaving both the smoky figure and the book in two. The smoke instantly dispersed but the book actually seemed to emit a small scream before falling silent and still. Harry looked a little closer and saw that ink was gushing out of the book like blood.

"Interesting," Harry said. He dismissed the sword and the shadow cage and turned on the lights to get a better look. His eyes had not deceived him, or rather the wards hadn't. The book was indeed spewing forth black ink as if it were blood.

"What kind of magic could create such a thing?" Madame Pomfrey asked as she helped Ginny Weasley to one of the hospital beds and began checking her out.

"That of the foulest kind," Kane rumbled as he walked up to stand next to Harry. "I recognize it now. Riddle turned this object into a Horcrux. Centuries ago I came across another one. I had not recognized the aura before because it has been so long."

"What exactly is a Horcrux?" Harry asked as knelt down next to the book to get a closer look. The book had stopped radiating that foul magic Harry sensed earlier but he could still feel small traces of the magic clinging to it.

"It is an abomination of magic!" Aili screeched in anger. "It is something born of the most evil of magic and the most evil of acts. It is a method a wizard or witch uses when they wish to attempt to obtain immortality. They commit the heinous act of murder, that which splits the soul, and if they know the magic to do so the witch or wizard can take advantage of the fracture and place part of their soul into a prepared object. The object must be protected against any damage, magical or physical. The object can only be destroyed if irreparable damage is done to it."

"If the magic used in creating a Horcrux is so vile why didn't the wards pick it up?" Harry asked revolted by what Aili had explained to him.

"Because whenever you had them searching for something the Horcrux was inactive," Aili explained with a dark scowl. "The soul contained within the object has magic of its own. It can flit in and out of its container and possess anyone that gets emotionally close to it. The Dark magic exuded by the Horcrux would only be detectable when it was active."

"Mmmhmm," Harry said in understanding. "So I take it by how it's not mending itself that it's destroyed?"

"Yes," Aili said turning her burning gaze towards Harry. "The shadow magic you wielded is very lethal."

"If used offensively," Harry clarified emphatically as he poked the book with his wand. He could feel Aili's disapproving gaze on his back but he chose not to look at her for the moment. However he didn't want to ruin what progress he had made with her towards her trusting him. "The magic I used is only deadly if used offensively, the book was very clear about that. I also take it that shadow magic has no cure like Basilisk venom?"

"Yes," Aili said as Harry flipped over half of the book. "I suggest you not use that magic again."

"I don't plan on it Aili," Harry said as he examined some letters at the bottom of the book. "The only reason I did use it was because of who I was up against. Madame Pomfrey what do you make of this?" Madame Pomfrey finished what she was doing with Weasley and came over to see what Harry was talking about.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle," Pomfrey read aloud. "It appears to be a diary."

"Interesting…" Harry said, his voice trailing off in thought. "How is she?" Harry asked quietly to Madame Pomfrey.

"In shock," Poppy said as she rubbed a weary hand across her face. "But she'll be fine."

"That's good," Harry said as he stood up. "I'm going to go dispose of this thing and get an elf to clean up the ink."

"Thank you Harry," Madame Pomfrey said as she stood up and brushed off the front of her night gown.

"You're more than welcome," Harry said as he levitated the torn pieces of the diary. "Oh," He added before he could turn more than halfway towards the main doors of the library. He dug the book he took from the library out of his robe pocket and handed it to Madame Pomfrey. "Here, this might be of some assistance in restoring my eyesight."

–Scene Break–

A few days had passed since Harry destroyed the diary. Madame Pomfrey had explored the book Harry had lent her and had tried out a spell that was specifically designed to repair damage to the eyes. Surprisingly the spell had worked. In fact it had worked far better than either of them had expected. All the damage done to Harry's eyes had been reversed and he could see perfectly without the wards or glasses.

Now that things had relatively returned to normal Christmas break had started and Christmas was quickly approaching. Harry was hiding from Draco and Hermione, who had elected to stay at Hogwarts with him this year, and was wrapping their presents in the Slytherin dorms. He had just finished the last of his wrapping when something caught his attention through the wards. After being connected to the wards in such a manner Harry was much more sensitive to the images that filtered through his mind that he usually ignored. Harry focused a little more on the wards and saw what caught his attention. It was Dumbledore entering the abandoned tower that was the source of the tears in the main wards of the castle.

Seeing a great opportunity to get some answers out of the aged man Harry quickly stuffed the wrapped present underneath his bed and headed for the secret door in the Slytherin common room.

–Scene Break–

Dumbledore climbed the stairs of the old abandoned tower, a look of despair upon his face. He was headed up to the top of this tower, where he had not been in many years, to do something he was not looking forward to doing. He simply could not comprehend where it all went wrong. He had everything planned out perfectly at the end of the war with Voldemort in '81, from the moment he heard the prophecy. Dumbledore knew that those muggles had been entirely unrelated to Harry when he placed him there but he placed Harry there in the hopes that the muggles would subjugate Harry to the point where he wouldn't dare question any figure of authority.

That was when Dumbledore would come in and ensconce Harry under his wing in the guise of the boy's savior. In his position as the boy's mentor Dumbledore would guide Harry into the role he was meant to play while at the same time keeping the boy ignorant and complacent towards certain facts about his existence.

But somehow it had all gone terribly wrong. Harry had come to Hogwarts guarded and extremely suspicious instead of vulnerable and open like Dumbledore had planned. Then he had been placed into Slytherin house and that was when Dumbledore began to grow afraid. Each day he had flashbacks of Tom Riddle's time here, each worse than the last and these flashbacks combined with his fear had caused Dumbledore to act rashly and make several errors. And it was these errors that had allowed Harry to, as he put it several weeks ago, place Dumbledore under checkmate. He couldn't refute it either. Harry had masterfully moved across the imaginary chessboard they had been playing on and ruthlessly demolished Dumbledore's defenses and cornered him.

Now Dumbledore had only one move left. He had to take the king and there was only one way to do that.

–Scene Break–

Harry came out of the secret tunnels at the base of the tower Dumbledore was in. He approached the main entrance cautiously. There was rubble all over the ground in front of the tower's entrance despite the tower being intact as well as the walls around it. Suddenly Kane appeared next to him letting out a mighty roar as he did so and Orpheus slithered out of his sleeve with an angry hiss and managed to wrap himself around Kane just as the mighty lion bounded up the stairs.

"Hey!" Harry called in confusion.

He quickly climbed over the rubble and chased after Kane and Orpheus. Being on the stairs helped Harry only slightly in preventing his two familiars from getting too far ahead of him but not by much. As it was Harry got to the top of the tower just in time to witness Kane leap across the room with a savage roar and knocking down a stunned Dumbledore and pinning him to the ground. The aged man attempted to go for his wand but Orpheus was faster. He came down off of Kane's back with surprising speed, wrapped his long coils around both of Dumbledore's wrists at the same time and squeezed until both wrists shattered with a sickening crunch.

"How did you get in here?" Kane demanded in a near deafening growl. Harry was surprised at both of them. He had never seen either of them so livid. "How did you find this tower?"

"I am the Headmaster of this school," Dumbledore started saying but stopped when Orpheus leaned in close to his face barring his fangs in another angry hiss.

"You cannot lie to us mortal!" Kane rumbled as he extended his claws and placed one of his massive paws directly on Dumbledore's chest. "How did you find this tower?"

"I needed a private place to manipulate the wards," Dumbledore whispered in fear.

"This tower was warded and shielded by all four of the founders so that no one could find and enter it," Kane growled.

"What exactly is this tower?" Harry asked in confusion as he looked around the room they were in. It was mostly empty aside from a few chairs and ritual items that Harry assumed Dumbledore had placed there. There weren't even any side rooms or hallways that would lead to any; just a fireplace and a few open windows that cast some light on the other wise dark and dusty room.

"It was meant to be yours," A new voice cut in. Harry turned to see Aili perched on the lowest window overlooking the scene. "During their final days the founders became concerned with their lineage, as is the case with most who are close to the gate of death. Salazar had returned to the castle during the summer when no one was around and the four of them decided to build a tower. It was a tower that was meant to house only those of their blood." Aili explained coldly as she eyed Dumbledore's face. Harry honestly wouldn't be surprised of the regal looking eagle flew down from her perch and started scratching out Dumbledore's eyes. "The tower could only be discovered by those deemed worthy enough to be housed here. As far as I know, no one has yet to step foot inside the real tower. The three of us had decided to present this tower to you at the end of the year. That way you would be allowed a place that you can make your own instead of living in the individual rooms of each founder."

"Thanks guys," Harry said as he blushed profusely at such a thoughtful gift. In order to take the attention away from his cherry red face Harry asked, "Real tower?"

"This is not the real tower that the founders built." Aili said simply. "Versed as she was in many forms of magic, Rowena knew that there was a chance of someone breaching the wards that guarded the tower. With this in mind she placed a failsafe around the tower. The minute this so called Headmaster," Aili lined her words with disgust. "Attacked the statue downstairs her failsafe activated. The real tower was transported to a safe location and this one was put in its place. However that does not explain how he managed to find this in the first place."

"A fine question indeed," Kane growled as Orpheus gently, seductively even, dragged his fangs across Dumbledore's cheek piercing the skin but not enough to inject venom into his bloodstream. However the cut immediately turned necrotic.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't let them mangle you for violating both this castle and its wards," Harry threatened as he moved to look Dumbledore in the face.

"I'm the only one that knows what I did to the wards and how to reverse it," Dumbledore said desperately.

"No you aren't," Aili said as she flexed her wings. It was clear that she wanted nothing more than to rack her claws over Dumbledore's face. "Not only do I recognize the equipment you brought for the ritual but Fawkes has kept his eye on you and has detailed to me what he has seen you doing over the years." As if he had been eavesdropping on their conversation Fawkes appeared next to Aili in a flash of flame at the mention of his name.

"I-I-I-" Dumbledore stuttered in a desperate attempt to find something to make himself seem useful.

"It appears," Harry said as he knelt down to look Dumbledore directly in the eye. He absently stroked a finger across Orpheus' head in an attempt to calm the snake down. At the moment Orpheus was the most lethal creature in the room and he didn't want him to do something they'd all regret. "That you have lost your usefulness. I had originally intended to let you stick around simply because you're a prominent figure among many witches and wizards. If I had fired you the second I gained control it would have been seen as an abuse of power by a child that shouldn't have such power because of his inexperience and I can't have people thinking that… but you've left me no choice."

"No," Dumbledore said as he started to struggle futilely against the massive strength of Kane.

"As of this moment you are no longer Headmaster of this school." Harry said with authority and power resonating from his voice as he stood up to tower over Dumbledore. "You are stripped of your rights and responsibilities as said Headmaster and you are hereby banished from the school grounds. The deputy Headmistress you appointed, one Minerva McGonagall shall take your place should she choose to. If not another shall be chosen." Harry paused to look in disgust at Dumbledore before directing his words to Kane and Orpheus. "As much as I would like to let you two rend him limb from limb I'm afraid that would simply make matters much worse for all of us." Kane and Orpheus did nothing but stare at Dumbledore with anger and hatred in their eyes for such a long time that Harry began to think that they would ignore reason and tear into Dumbledore's flesh. Eventually they moved, with great reluctance, off and away from the withered old man.

"This can't be happening," Dumbledore said in shock as he sat up.

"Oh but it is," Harry said just as a thought popped into his head and a vicious smile spread across his face. "And while I can't let these two kill you as I'm sure they'd love to, I can, however, arrange in a little public humiliation that I think will satisfy everyone." Harry turned his gaze towards the two birds perched on the windowsill. "Perhaps you would enjoy chasing him from the grounds?"

Dumbledore's eyes widen in shock as he registered Harry's words. He quickly scrambled to his feet and fled the room. The man could move surprisingly fast for his age. Aili and Fawkes let out cries of outrage at their fleeing prey and immediately took flight after him. Harry chuckled maliciously. He truly had no love for those who meant harm to him, those he cared about, or innocent people. Harry watched through the wards with a vicious smile as Aili and Fawkes clawed and pecked at the top of Dumbledore's head as he fled through the halls of the castle towards the main entrance. Several students and teachers were privy to the old man's humiliation and while most held shocked expressions there were a few, Draco and Hermione included, who openly chuckled at the old man's distress.

Once Dumbledore crossed the boundary lines Harry commanded the wards to seal off the castle against Dumbledore's reentry. Harry then turned his attention back to the room he was in. Near the center of the room there was a strange symbol that Harry didn't recognize surrounded by obvious ritual equipment. There was a knife that was meant to draw blood, several herbs, and some empty bowels for burning the herbs and a few other potions ingredients. It was obvious to Harry that Dumbledore had not only been planning on working some sort of ritual today but had done so several times in the past, as indicated by the dried blood and soot in the middle of the strange symbol.

"That was fun," Aili said as she landed back onto the windowsill with thick amusement in her voice. Fawkes landed next with a chirp in agreement.

"I'm glad you two enjoyed yourselves," Harry said with a smile as he looked up at the two birds. "Did you mangle his hair and beard?"

"Immensely," Aili said with a chuckle. "He looks like a deranged psychopath now."

"Brilliant!" Harry laughed at the mental image of Dumbledore with chunks of hair missing and looking a little like a muggle mad scientist. "So do you really know what the fool did to the wards?"

"Yes," Aili said as she glided down to get a closer look the symbol on the floor. "It is a complicated ritual that is surprisingly simple to reverse. It was used centuries ago by wizards to capture and contain wild magic so it would be more compliant to a wizards will; it is where most of the pureblood families magical object heirlooms come from. Dumbledore apparently applied the ritual to the main wards of the castle. It would not surprise me if the dozens of silver objects littering his office are the results of this ritual."

"How do you reverse the ritual?"

"Simple," Aili said as she hopped from the ground to Kane's back at the same time Fawkes flew down to Harry's shoulder. "You destroy the object. Without the object to contain and manipulate it the magic is free to do as it pleases like it was before or in this case return to its original function."

"Ooooo goody, goody!" Harry said clapping his hands in delight as he turned to make his way out of the tower. "I get to smash things." It was moments like this that made Harry seriously wonder if he wasn't entirely sane. "So," Harry continued when he had reached the bottom of the stairs of the false tower and came across the rubble of what Harry now knew to be a statue. "Do you know how to return the original tower back to Hogwarts Aili?"

"The statue must be reconstructed," Aili said with sadness in her voice as she gazed upon the destroyed statue. "It must be done manually not by magic. Each piece must be taken individually and replaced to how it should be. You can use magic to move the pieces but you cannot simply cast a spell to repair the statue or it will just fall apart again. Rowena set it up that way to make sure that the tower was only accessed by someone who was worthy, someone who cared enough to take the time to right what has been wronged."

"Smart," Harry said, his already great respect for Rowena growing even more. "Well we have all of Christmas break to work on that. Right now we should mend the wards."

"Agreed," Kane said sourly as he followed Harry past the rubble and into the main body of the castle. The five of them made their way through the corridors towards the Headmaster's office. Surprisingly they didn't meet anyone along the way until they got to the hallway leading to the stone gargoyle that guarded the office.

"Harry!" The voices of Draco, Hermione, and Neville called from behind him.

"Hey guys," Harry said as he paused and turned to face them as they rushed to catch up with him.

"What's going on?" Neville asked as he caught his breath.

"I caught Dumbledore trying to do more damage to the wards," Harry explained as he continued his progress towards the gargoyle, which jumped aside without prompting when Harry approached. On the ride up the moving staircase Harry explained exactly what had happened in the false tower.

"Did he ever say how he found the tower?" Draco asked as they walked through the door into Dumbledore's office. Almost immediately upon entering the room Fawkes flew from Harry's shoulder to the perch standing next to the Headmaster's desk.

"No but I don't think it matters really." Harry said as he started examining the myriad silver objects in the room. Sure enough Harry could sense the ancient magic of the wards swirling within the containers. "He most likely used some ancient magic to pierce through the wards around the tower."

"So," Neville said as he nervously looked at one of the silver objects. "How are we supposed to free the wards?"

"Well we have to smash each container," Harry explained as he took up one of the silver objects. This one looked like a double ended teapot for some reason. "However I failed to take into account the enormous amount of these ridiculous things and as much as I'd like to do it all by hand I think that would take too much time."

"All we have to do is break them right?" Hermione asked with a glint in her eye that everyone recognized as the glint she got when she had an idea.

"Yeah," Harry said just a little leery about the idea Hermione had. The girl was just too much of a Ravenclaw for anyone's good and she had a tendency to experiment just a little too much and not all of her experiments went well.

"Then I have just the thing," Hermione said as she pulled out her wand.

"As entertaining as it would be to watch you defile this office," A voice from up on the wall said in a snarky voice. Harry vaguely recalled his name being one Phineas Nigellus Black a former Headmaster of Hogwarts from the 19th century. "I'm afraid I must inquire as to what exactly it is you are doing here in the Headmaster's office."

"We're here to repair the wards," Draco answered his ancestor. He obviously recognized who the man in the painting was for he had a look of deep respect on his face.

"I was unaware that they needed repair let alone that a few second years could repair the damage to such complex magic," Phineas remarked with a raised eyebrow.

"That's because you never pay attention to what's going on in the castle anymore Phin," Another painting remarked. This one was an older woman that Harry didn't recognized. "If you had bothered to wake up and take a walk through the castle you would know that not only did Dumbledore cause severe damage to the wards but that this young man here," She gestured at Harry. "Is the heir of the founders and owns Hogwarts."

"That doesn't give him the right to come in here unannounced and start destroying the current Headmaster's possessions." Phineas blustered at the older woman.

"It does when said possessions contain strips of the wards Dumbledore damaged," Harry said as he sat down next to Kane on the steps in front of the Headmaster's desk. His leg was almost entirely healed but it still got sore quicker than it used to and it didn't take too kindly to running up those stairs after Kane earlier. "Not to mention I just fired Dumbledore for attempting to do further damage to the wards."

"Oh my!" The older woman exclaimed in shock. "What on earth happened to that man? He used to be such a great man."

"I'm not sure where he went wrong Ma'am," Harry said as he rubbed his leg where the break was in order to try and ease the throbbing. "But would it be possible for me to ask a favor of you?"

"Certainly, certainly," The old woman said as if the answer should have been obvious to Harry.

"Would it be possible for you to retrieve Deputy Headmistress McGonagall for me?" Harry asked politely. "She needs to be informed so she can take up duties as Headmistress until either she is hired permanently as Headmistress or another is put in her place."

"Right away," The old lady said with a quick nod of her head before walking out of her frame.

"Humph!" Phineas grumbled as he walked out of his picture frame. Clearly he wasn't very pleased at being ignored.

"Mother told me stories about him," Draco said as he joined Harry on the steps leading up to the Headmaster's desk. "Entirely self absorbed. Then again most of the Black family is."

"Anyways," Harry said with a small chuckle. "You said you had an idea Hermione?"

"Yes," Hermione said as she redirected her attention to the many silver objects in the room. "Well it's quite simple really. We just levitate all the objects into the air and then have them smash down into the ground. What doesn't break upon impact we can easily step on or something."

"If you attempt to go through with such a plan," Aili cut in before anyone else could say anything. "Then I suggest you do so behind some form of cover. Magical objects always emit a minor explosion when the contained magic is released. Doing it in bulk like you suggest would magnify that explosion."

"I'm sure that the area behind the Headmaster's desk would provide sufficient cover," Draco suggested as he turned in his seat to examine the room.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Harry said as he got up and wandered over to the area behind the Headmaster's desk. The pillars there were strong and sturdy and should be able to provide sufficient cover from any resulting explosions.

Harry and the others all picked a pillar or went back a little farther and took cover behind a bookshelf or two. Apparently unbothered by the prospect of an impending explosion Fawkes merely remained where he was preening his feathers.

Hermione waved her wand behind her pillar on the second floor of the office and all the silver objects floated into the air. Just as Hermione released the spell Harry erected the wards over the door and then in front of themselves to try and protect them from anything flying from the explosion. The first device hit the ground and shattered with a small shockwave of magic. The second object was just close enough to the first that it got hit by the magical shockwave and it shattered and emitted its own shockwave; causing a chain reaction. In the blink of an eye the room exploded in a wave of force stirring up dust and knocking around loose items. The magical residue that hung in the air after the silver devices exploded suddenly solidified into a multicolored orb in the middle of the room and just as suddenly it exploded in a wave of light that passed right through Harry's barrier though it didn't harm anyone. When he could see again Harry saw that the ball of light had vanished and the room looked relatively normal.

"Did it work?" Neville asked a little nervously as he slowly came out from behind the pillar he had chosen to hide behind.

Harry closed his eyes and searched. He found another connection like he had with the wards Salazar had set up only this one led to the main wards that guarded the castle.

"If by 'work' you mean that the ward magic contained within the objects was released then yes," Harry said as he opened his eyes and moved back to the steps in front of the Headmaster's desk. "However it seems that the strips Dumbledore took out of the wards have been contained for too long. They can't reconnect with the main body of the wards. They're where they're supposed to be meaning they've filled the holes in the wards but they're too weak and sensitive to reconnect with the rest of the wards. If they don't reconnect they will most likely fade from existence because they're too weak to sustain themselves."

"I was afraid that would happen," Aili said as she perched herself on the window and looked out over the grounds of the place she had called home for so long. After the public split of the four founders Aili felt as if her home had been violated and she had never felt safe here afterwards.

"_There is only one way to fully repair the wards now,_" Orpheus hissed in displeasure as he poked his head out from the top of Kane's mane.

"And that would be?" Harry asked in English as he rubbed his hand wearily across his face.

"You will have to merge the backup wards and the main wards." Kane rumbled as he made himself a little more comfortable on the floor in front of the Headmaster's desk. Harry absently noted that it was actually now the Head_mistress'_ desk rather than Headmaster's. "You could not do it before because of the holes in the wards but you can do it now while the freed magic is still filling those holes as they should be. By merging the two sets of wards the magic and strength from the backups will over power the sensitivity the freed magic has towards reconnecting with their other half. Also the merge will strengthen the wards to a level they were never at before because it will change the nature of the wards themselves."

"How so?" Hermione asked. Harry couldn't help but chuckle at how eager she always was to learn something new.

"Because of the circumstances," Kane explained. "Normally a merge like this would never happen but it's not entirely unheard of. Since Harry is not only the legal owner of the castle but the heir to the founders as well the wards recognize Harry as kin since it was his ancestors that originally erected them. When he merges them the heightened power they will gain will give them a higher awareness. Now given that each set of wards are already some of the strongest in existence the merging will make them even stronger. The merging of the two sets of wards will turn them into blood wards and because they view Harry as kin they will respond to him and him alone. Blood wards are the strongest wards in existence, even back during the founders' time they were as such. Nothing, magical or physical, will be able to pierce such wards unless Harry allows it."

"And how exactly do we go about merging the two?" Harry asked as he thought over the implications of having such powerful wards at his command. Frankly it was rather terrifying.

"Normally it would be complicated combining two sets of wards," Aili said as she continued to gaze out among the snowy grounds of Hogwarts. "It would be a long and complicated ritual. However since you are in command of both sets, you merely need to tell them to merge. _Tell_ not _ask_. If you ask they will refuse as it is not normal for two to become one. I suggest you do this quickly too."

"Why?" Harry asked in confusion as he looked over at Aili, who was still staring out over the grounds.

"Two reasons," Aili said as she cocked her head. "One is that the fragments of the wards you released will not last much longer and you will only be able to merge the wards while both sets are whole."

"And the second?" Draco asked when Aili went silent. Everyone in the room grew concerned when Fawkes stopped his preening and joined Aili on the windowsill with a chirp that everyone interpreted as a warning.

"The second reasoning," Aili said in such a serious tone that Harry got up from his seat on the floor next to Kane and went over to the window. "Is because Dumbledore has brought a fight to Hogwarts."


	13. Chapter 13: The Price of Arrogance

**Disclaimer: **The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me

**A/N: **Ok everyone! Here's the new chapter. Now don't be mad but this is going to be the last chapter. I realize that it's a rather odd place to end Harry's second year and there are a few unresolved things but I have my reasons. The story will pick right up where this leaves off in the third installment. Aside from that I hope everyone enjoys the update. Please review and let me know what you all think!

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><p>CHAPTER NINE: THE PRICE OF ARROGANCE<p>

Harry stared out over the grounds through the window. All he saw was snow covered grounds and trees. He was about to ask Aili how she knew Dumbledore was going to attack the castle when the wards alerted him that Dumbledore was attempting to cross the boundary lines with a host of Aurors and several civilian witches and wizards behind him. Clearly Dumbledore had managed to pull strings with the Ministry in order to convince them that Harry was the enemy and had seized control of the castle.

_As your caregiver and heir to the legacy of this castle and your makers I command that you merge into one being._ Harry commanded the two sets of wards with all the authority he had.

The wards around the castle suddenly became visible. The multicolored appearance of the main wards and the green and silver of the backups swirled around the castle and the grounds. At first they were separate, two individual bodies of magic, but as they circled the castle grounds electricity began to spark between the two.

"The Deputy Headmistress is here as you requested young sir," The old woman in the painting said distracting Harry from the rather beautiful sight before him.

"Thank you," Harry said with a negligent wave of his wand and opened the door just as McGonagall was about to knock. "Orpheus I believe Severus should be here as well. Things could get nasty." Harry added without taking his eyes off the magic before him. Draco, Hermione and Neville had also crowded around him to watch the show.

The only downside to all of this was that while the wards were merging the castle was vulnerable and Dumbledore and his horde were allowed access to the grounds. Harry just hoped they finished in time for him to seal the castle to protect the other students who had decided to stay for the holidays. Orpheus did as Harry silently asked and slithered from the room to fetch Severus, much to McGonagall's shock. She didn't even have time to draw her wand before Orpheus vanished down the stairs.

"What is going on in here?" McGonagall demanded as she moved farther into the room. She nearly had a heart attack when she saw Kane lying there innocently at the top of the stairs.

"He won't hurt you," Harry said as he managed to tear his eyes away from the sight before him shortly to glance at McGonagall. "He's actually been eager to meet the Head of Gryffindor house."

"And why is that?" McGonagall asked quietly. She hadn't moved an inch since spotting Kane, fearing he might attack her.

"Because he was Godric's familiar and has been curious about who takes care of the founder's house," Harry explained with a grin.

"Nosey," Kane grumbled and Harry swore he heard embarrassment in the lion's voice and his grinned turned into a full on smile.

Suddenly the wards coalesced into a single being and vanished from sight. Harry instantly sought the wards out in his mind and nearly staggered at the increased strength they gave off but he did his best to ignore it. Focusing on the immediate danger to the castle Harry ordered the wards into sealing every rout of access to the castle starting with the main doors. Thankfully it was around lunchtime so everyone who was staying at the castle was currently in the Great Hall eating. The main doors of the castle banged shut just as Dumbledore started climbing the steps to enter.

"Would anyone mind telling me why you are here in the Headmaster's office and without his permission or his presence?" McGonagall asked sternly. She decided it best to ignore the oddity of Kane for the time being.

"Because I fired him," Harry said as he leaned out of the window slightly to watch what the group was doing to try to get through the doors. "As the Deputy Headmistress you needed to be informed of the situation so you could tend to your duties until another Headmaster or mistress has been hired or you decide that you will remain permanently in the office." Harry turned from the window to face McGonagall. He walked over to Kane and sat back down on the step next to him. "And before you start professing that I don't have the authority to fire him you should know that I am the owner of Hogwarts and have every right to fire him should I deem it appropriate and have sufficient reason. Taking into considering his actions towards me in the past two years and the fact that I caught him in the act of trying to do more damage to the wards of this castle and I think I had sufficient enough reason to fire him."

"I don't suppose you have any proof to back up your claims?" McGonagall asked with a look on her face that clearly stated she did not like such a young person having such power. However Harry picked up through his empathy that she wasn't all that upset by Dumbledore being fired and he found this rather odd because the last time he checked McGonagall was one of the strongest supporters Dumbledore had.

"He does," A silky voice cut in from the doorway. Everyone turned to see Severus standing there. Orpheus slipped through the doorway and back into Kane's mane. Harry idly wondered why the snake and lion seemed so close despite being of different species and not seeing each other for centuries on end. "Why did you bring me here?"

"Because of that man's arrogance," Harry said gesturing out the window. He had obviously interrupted Severus in the middle of a potions experiment and the man wasn't very happy about it.

"I thought," Severus said as he pulled his head back in from leaning out the window. "That we agreed not to fire him for the time being."

"It was either firing him or letting these three tear him to shreds," Harry said with a gesture at Kane, Orpheus and Aili, all who looked decidedly sour and angry. He would have indicated Fawkes as well but Harry didn't think he would have partaken in the bloodshed. Phoenixes were creatures of pure goodness and had an extremely strong sense of justice and what was right. No phoenix would partake in killing anything no matter what or who that thing was. "I didn't think that having my familiars, no matter their standing, murder a prominent figure in Wizarding society would garner much sympathy from the public. I tried to pick the lesser of two evils, though I must admit that I hadn't expected him to retaliate so quickly; especially with two broken wrists."

"You broke his wrists?" McGonagall said in shock.

"Perhaps it would be best if you explained everything from the beginning," Severus interjected before McGonagall could go off on a rant or something.

Harry was about to answer when his awareness and the castle was suddenly jarred by at least a dozen or so spells impacting the wards that kept the castle sealed and protected. Harry massaged his temples in an attempt to assuage the slight headache that had formed from the impact of spells. He assessed the damage done to the wards and found that there was none. The wards were pristine in their strength and the only reason the castle had jarred was because the wards were so close to the castle.

"Details will have to wait," Harry said as he stood up just as another round of spells impacted the wards once again jarring the castle. Harry stabilized himself with Kane's help since Kane had stood up with him. "Professor McGonagall, I need to know if you are going to take up your duties as Deputy Headmistress and help protect this school or if you are going to side with the man who is leading an assault upon a castle full of children simply because he didn't get his way." Harry said to McGonagall just as another set of spells hit the wards. He checked them again and was surprised that the wards were still unscathed. Harry guessed Kane had been truthful in saying that nothing would pierce blood wards without the ward holder's permission. There had to be at least fifteen wands down there firing spells at the castle and it was as if the wards were simply enjoying the snowy weather.

"For almost fifty years I have stood by that man." McGonagall said as she moved to look out the window at the group of witches and wizards just in time to see them fire another round of spells at the castle doors, once again jarring the castle walls. "I have not always agreed with some of his plans or ideas, particularly placing you with inept and frankly rather cruel muggles," Not expecting the reference to the Dursley's Harry stiffened and stared at McGonagall in shock. He had no idea that she had even remotely known about his life with those wretched monsters. "Despite our disagreements I always thought that he knew best because the results he had garnered were fabulous and I thought the methods were justifiable, though I knew little of those to begin with. But this… this is too much. I still expect a full detailing of how this came about Mr. Potter but I side with the protection of this school."

"Brilliant!" Harry said clapping his hands and gesturing for them all to follow him out of the office. "Let's see if we can't defuse the situation without anyone getting hurt. Do either of you have any suggestions?"

"From what I could see there are at least twenty Aurors down there, including the Head of the Auror Office and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones." Severus answered as they all made their way down the moving staircase from the Headmistress' office. "There also appears to be about ten or so civilian witches and wizards, most likely the parents of the students who remained here over the holidays."

"Some of them are probably Order members," McGonagall chipped in. "It would not surprise me if Arthur and Molly are down there since all of their children elected to remain at the castle for the holidays." McGonagall paused for a moment in thought before continuing. "Perhaps if we can show the Aurors and parents that everything is fine within the castle and that you had every right to fire Albus then this situation might just go away."

"Well let's hope it goes that way," Harry said as they approached the main doors.

There were several students gathered a few feet away from the doors and Severus and McGonagall went over to them and got them to disperse while Harry went straight for the doors. When he had told the wards to seal the castle they had planted themselves right on top of the doors keeping them shut so Harry had to push them out slightly before he allowed the doors to swing inward revealing the roughly thirty or so witches and wizards on the other side. Orpheus and Kane had resumed their disguises as tattoos on Harry's body as they had walked down from the Headmistress' office so all the Aurors and Dumbledore saw were four second-years and two teachers standing just beyond their reach.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Harry greeted with open arms and open palms to show that he was unarmed. "Might I inquire as to why you are attempting to break down these walls?"

"Harry Potter?" A young witch in the front standing next to Dumbledore asked as she took a step forward. Harry assumed that she was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones.

"Yes,"

"It has been reported that you have become possessed and have managed to eject Headmaster Dumbledore from the premises through means of some as of yet unknown Dark magic. We are here to place you under arrest until we can ascertain the situation further." Amelia stated authoritatively.

"Madam Bones I can assure you that I am not possessed," Harry said as calmly as he could and without a snort of disbelief, though it took all of his effort not to do so. "Further more I did not eject Dumbledore from the castle with Dark magic. I fired him for trying to damage the wards of this castle as well as his behavior towards me and the protection of this school."

"You are merely twelve years old," Another voice cut in. One of the Aurors, a tall black man with a large hoop earring in one ear stepped forward and had a look of clear contempt and anger on his face. Harry recognized him as the Auror who arrested Lockhart earlier in the year. "You have absolutely no authority in this castle. You must be possessed!"

"On the contrary," Harry said as he pulled a piece of folded paper out from the inside of his robes. It was a copy of the deed claiming Harry as the legal and blood owner of Hogwarts the goblins at Gringotts had given him. "You see I own Hogwarts and therefore have every right in the world to fire someone if I have a valid reason for doing so. Intentionally damaging the wards, willfully putting the entire student body at risk, attacking an unarmed twelve year old student, and taking an unhealthy interest in select students all qualify as valid reasons for immediate dismissal of a Hogwarts employee." As he stated all this he handed the copy of the deed through the wards to Madam Bones, who thoroughly examined the letter for any dangerous magic before taking it from Harry to read.

"This is obviously fabricated Miss Bones," Dumbledore said as he walked forward to stand next to Amelia. He was obviously trying to debunk Harry's credibility to the department Head. "No child of twelve could own the most prestigious school in all of Britain."

"You're more than welcome to contact the goblins at Gringotts to verify the authenticity of my claims," Harry offered calmly. Dumbledore had spoken quietly in the hopes that no one would overhear his words but Harry had very good ears. "Furthermore Madam Bones, her Aurors, and the parents who are concerned for the safety of their children are free to enter the school to check everything out and make sure all is well." Frankly Harry didn't want them to take his offer but it needed to be made in order to help defuse the situation.

"Don't listen," Dumbledore hastened to say. "You can see in his eyes that he's possessed. He's merely trying to maintain control."

"And what're you trying to do Albus?" McGonagall asked disapprovingly. Dumbledore stared at her in shock and his mouth was effectively silenced.

"I think I will take you up on your offer Mr. Potter," Amelia spoke up. "And if you are not being possessed I would like to know how you came about having such odd eyes."

"I will explain as we walk," Harry said with a gesture for them to enter the castle. Dumbledore attempted storm past the doors but the wards immediately rejected him access. "_They _are welcome," Harry said with emphasis and a glare at Dumbledore as the fool picked himself up off the ground. "You are not." He turned to Amelia and the others gathered. "Now if you'll follow us we'll put this whole matter to rest."

Harry, Draco, Hermione, Neville, Severus and McGonagall all escorted the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement throughout the main areas of the castle. They went to the Great Hall where all the students had gathered under the instruction of Severus and McGonagall. The parents rushed to their children, all of whom profusely told their parents that everything was perfectly fine. When they came upon the writing on the wall Harry explained that yes someone had been attacking the castle but that they had discovered who was responsible.

"This young lady," Harry said when they reached the Hospital Wing. Ginny Weasley was still under Madame Pomfrey's supervision to make sure there was no lingering damage from her possession. "Was being possessed by Lord Voldemort through a Dark object," Harry politely ignored how everyone flinched at hearing the Dark Lord's name. "Upon discovering the object on her while she was possessed we destroyed the object and ending the threat. Unfortunately before she was freed from the Dark objects grip she greatly wounded this young man."

"Why hasn't he been fully healed yet?" Amelia inquired as she examined Collin Creevey's wound.

"Because the curse used to inflict the wound is designed to keep the wound open despite medical treatment," Harry explained as he silently berated himself for completely forgetting about Collin. During his month of being bedridden because of his leg Harry couldn't undergo medical training as he wanted to in order to perform the counter curse. "We know what curse it is that was cast and the counter curse to remove it. Unfortunately the counter curse is rather complicated and Madame Pomfrey is simply making sure she can perform it flawlessly before she attempts to remove the curse since one false move could worsen the curse."

"And he remains healthy while like this?" Amelia asked looking to Madame Pomfrey.

"Yes," She said with a nod. "He receives regular nutrient potions as well as blood replenishing potions. He is capable of being conscious but I didn't think he needed to suffer through something like this so I put him into a magically induced coma and as soon as the curse is lifted he should be fairly healthy aside from some lethargy and weakness."

"Were his parents notified?" Amelia asked looking between Harry and McGonagall.

"Albus said he would take care of it," McGonagall said with great frustration in her voice.

"So we can assume that he didn't," Harry said as he rubbed his hands across his face in agitation.

"I will go to their house immediately and inform them." McGonagall declared as she stormed from the room.

"Why would you assume that Albus Dumbledore wouldn't inform the family of what happened?" Amelia asked in confusion.

"Albus Dumbledore is… well he's not as benevolent as he likes to make himself out to be." Harry explained. When Amelia gave Harry a look that said, "Oh really," Harry elaborated. "For starters he has been antagonistic towards me ever since I came to this school. He also has a habit of leisurely wandering through defenseless minds. Then there's the time he attempted to murder me in my sleep."

"Do you have proof of this?" Amelia asked skeptically.

"Just my memories," Harry said before all hell broke loose.

The wards let out a massive groan throughout the entire castle that sounded like a great oak being bent in half and getting ready to snap and it shook the castle shaking dust from the walls. Harry let out small scream as pain lanced up his spine and he went down to his knees. He barely registered that Severus and Madame Pomfrey had rushed to his aid since all of his attention was focused on the wards. Dumbledore had tried some sort of spell that apparently was specifically designed to pierce wards. Thankfully the improved blood wards held firm against Dumbledore's spell but only just. Before Dumbledore could try the spell again with more power behind it Harry instinctively touched his connection to the wards and without realizing what he was doing Harry leaped through the wards to land in the snow behind Dumbledore.

"What is your problem?" Harry demanded as he summoned the Elder Wand. The sound of his voice startled Dumbledore into turning around and diverting his attention from the wards. "Why are you so hell bent on taking this path?"

"Because if you cannot be controlled you must be destroyed," Dumbledore said as he stalked down the steps towards Harry. "There is much you are ignorant of boy. That which is promised must not be allowed."

"You speak far too much in riddles old man," Harry growled in a rather good imitation of Kane.

"Riddles or not," Dumbledore said as he raised his wand. "You must die."

Dumbledore let fly a curse. It shone a bright green and spoke only of death. Harry, not recognizing what curse Dumbledore had used, pulled a trick that stunned the old man beyond any coherent thought. Harry moved his wand in a circle around the curse as it traveled through the air and then swept his left hand from right to left out in front of him. The green curse altered course and came to rest a few inches above Harry's outstretched palm and it changed from a bright green to fiery red.

"You think you're the only one who knows old magic?" Harry said as he noted the completely stunned expression on Dumbledore's face. "You are a fool old man."

"Impossible," Dumbledore whispered in shock. "No one can guard or deflect that curse." Despite the low tone Dumbledore spoke in Harry could hear him perfectly fine. He looked to the curse in his palm and thought he realized what spell Dumbledore had tried to use.

"Did you really try to use the killing curse on me?" Harry asked and it was his turn to sound shocked. He really hadn't thought Dumbledore would resort to such spells. "No matter," Harry said as he shook himself mentally and refocused on the man before him. "Choose now. Surrender and leave these grounds and never come back or lose a fight with a twelve year old."

"Knowledge isn't everything," Dumbledore said as he took a dueling stance.

"So be it," Harry said with genuine regret in his voice.

Harry waved his wand over the spell floating in his hand and it changed from a fiery red to an almost blinding white. He tossed the spell at the ground between Dumbledore and himself, creating a slight shockwave that rippled through the snow they were standing on, marking a circle twenty feet in diameter around them, but otherwise doing nothing. Harry deflected a curse the Dumbledore fired at him and returned fire with a spell meant to wrap Dumbledore in chains and shackles. As much as he truly despised the man Harry didn't want to kill him.

After that the two battled back and forth. To those watching from the safety of the castle walls it looked as if the two were violently dancing among lightning. Dumbledore's beard even looked like an angry thundercloud as it flapped around in the wind. For Harry though it was a different story. Despite the fact that he could probably match Dumbledore's knowledge in ancient magic Harry knew that he was outmatched in this battle. After all he was a twelve year old facing a man who had singlehandedly taken down the Dark Wizard Grindelwald who was at the top of the list of most powerful Dark Wizard of all time before Voldemort stole the spot. Sure he had the Elder Wand but the wand did not make a wizard great.

No. Harry knew he couldn't win against Dumbledore in a battle of strength. Harry had to play to his strengths and his greatest strength was strategy. Each time Dumbledore had confronted Harry he had bested him because he maneuvered Dumbledore into a position where he had to back down. Despite the lethality of the situation they were in it was no different from the other situations and Harry was merely stalling.

After what had to have been at least half an hour of trading spells with Dumbledore, Harry felt a shift in the snow beneath his feet. With a slight, imperceptible, grin Harry made as if he was going to catch Dumbledore's spell. He had his empty left hand crossed over his stomach, palm up, and put his right hand, palm down but still gripping his wand, over his chest. Dumbledore's spell passed right through the sort of open circle Harry had created and struck him in the chest, but not before Harry succeeded in changing the spell.

Harry went flying out of the circle he had created and landed on the snow a good couple of yards away. He felt several people attempting get through the wards to come to his aid but he kept the wards up to keep them out of the way. They would only interfere with his plans. Through the wards Harry saw Dumbledore stalking towards Harry, who had landed on his face in the snow. When the old man reached the middle of the circle Harry started to get up, which caused Dumbledore to stop.

"You," Harry started talking to gain a little more time as he got to his knees. "Are a fool and an oath-breaker, old man," Harry absently rubbed his chest to alleviate the soreness created by Dumbledore's altered spell.

"I have broken no oaths." Dumbledore said in a steely voice. Calling someone an oath-breaker was an old but very serious offense in many societies but especially the Wizarding World. It was a way of calling a person unfaithful, untrustworthy, a violator, and a defiler all in one word.

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," Harry declared as he stared unafraid directly into Dumbledore's hard blue eyes. "Grand Sorcerer, Supreme Mugwump, Chief Warlock of the Wizenagamot, and Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, excuse me former Headmaster. Each of these titles comes with an oath and each oath you have broken." Harry managed to work his way to his feet though he showed no signs of attacking. He needed Dumbledore to remain where he was. "The Chief Warlock of the Wizenagamot swears upon his induction to the position that he will serve, without prejudice or biased, to protect the public. For the most part you have upheld this but you have only done so in order to further your own gains and that is the least of your violations. The worst of them are your actions as you served as Headmaster of Hogwarts. You deliberately and maliciously defiled and almost irreparably weakened the wards of this castle that were designed to protect this castle and its inhabitants, not to serve your own ends." As he spoke Dumbledore was once again driven into a state of shock by a twelve year old but this time Harry was surprised by the shock.

"Are you really so delusional that you thought you were acting in accordance with these oaths?" Harry asked in disbelief. "You truly are a fool."

At that moment Harry's trap sprang to life. The snow in the circle that Harry had marked, which was at least three feet deep, suddenly pulsed with magic. Not even a second later the snow melted into water, causing Dumbledore to stumble and fall to his knees. Before Dumbledore could react the water rushed up and encased him in a pillar of water. Just as he was about to cast a spell the water froze instantly and immobilized him.

"Disgrace," Harry spat as he walked past the ice prison of ice, knowing full well that Dumbledore would hear him.

As he walked towards the castle doors Harry allowed the wards to relax and allow people to pass through the doorway again. They also expanded back to their original position as guards over the boarders of Hogwarts' grounds, ignoring Dumbledore as they did so.

"Harry! Are you alright?" Draco asked as he rushed to Harry's side. He had been the first one to bolt through the doors when the wards had released their position over the doors.

"I'll be fine when that wretch is behind bars," Harry grumbled as they continued walking. "Do you know who saw what?"

"Pretty much everything," Severus interjected. Harry hadn't noticed that the rest of the crowd had caught up to them. "We ran for the doors the moment you vanished and arrived just as he fired the first curse."

"Is he still alive?" Amelia asked as she looked shocked at the pillar of ice with a look of disbelief, shock, sadness, and anger on her face.

"Yes," Harry answered with a sour look on his face that said he clearly wished it were otherwise. "Melt the ice and he will, unfortunately, be perfectly fine."

"It is clear that Albus has fallen a great distance." Amelia said sadly.

"Only because of the image he painted himself to be," Harry responded as he looked around the crowd to see several stunned and unbelieving faces. "I trust that he will be dealt with?"

"At the very least he will receive life for the use of an unforgiveable curse." Amelia confirmed with a nod. "Also an investigation will be made into his other activities for evidence of further wrong doing."

"Then he's all yours Madame. Good day." Harry said and he turned and walked into the castle.

"Where're you going?" Draco asked as he made the decision to follow Harry. Hermione, Neville, and Severus stayed behind since they all sensed that Harry wanted to be alone.

"To calm down before I change my mind and kill the annoying bastard." Harry explained as he made his way deep into the middle of the castle where this whole catastrophe started.

"Care for some company?" Draco asked as he followed Harry through the halls.

"Only if you're the company," Harry answered as they came to a stop in front of the pile of rubble that marked where the fake tower was and where his tower was supposed to be.

Draco smiled at the comment before turning his attention to his surroundings. "Is this…?" Draco let the question trail off as he looked around at the pile of rubble.

"Yes," Harry answered the unfinished question as he evaluated the problem before him. "Ever solved a three dimensional puzzle before?"

"Lots of puzzles," Draco said. "None of them like this. Is there any reason why you want to even attempt this?"

"It's the only way to retrieve the real tower." Harry said simply as he cleared away the space in front the doorway that lead to the tower. When he stepped out of the way eight pieces of stone flew from the pile of rubble and settled into place. The stone then turns from a dull and boring grey to a deep black. Harry looked closer and saw that not only was a precious stone but that each of the eight pieces were in the shape of paws and four were considerably smaller than the rest.

"That's black diamond!" Draco whispered in shock.

"Incredibly rare I take it." Harry said as he bent down to examine the stones more closely.

"Well it would have been during the founders' time." Draco explained as he marveled at the black stone. "And if all of this rubble is black diamond then that's even more shocking."

"Be that as it may," Harry said with a slight grin. "I think our job just got a little easier."

Harry and Draco spent the rest of the day piecing together the statue that was supposed to stand guard over the tower that Kane, Orpheus, and Aili were going to give to Harry at the end of the school year. All the while though Harry was doing everything he could not to break down in tears. Draco may be his closest friend but Harry still didn't want to cry in front of him. It was all just too much for him to handle. From the moment Harry could remember it had been one constant struggle to survive. He had hoped that when he came to Hogwarts that things would be different but he had been wrong. Almost every day he had been there was spent looking over his shoulder for danger and fighting to stay alive.

Around midnight Harry's resolve finally broke. He had grown too tired to maintain control any longer. Harry collapsed onto his knees and leaned heavily against the partially reconstructed legs of the statue he and Draco had been working on all day. As he fell to his knees Harry unintentionally cut the palm of his hand on the sharp edge of the statue but he hardly noticed. He just leaned against the cold stone and silently started to cry.

"Harry?" Draco said in concern as he went over to his best friend. Despite the late hour Draco hadn't complained about getting tired. He knew Harry needed someone there for him, even if it was just to offer silent support. "Harry?" Draco called again when Harry didn't respond the first time. He grew even more concerned when he saw the tears running down Harry's pain ridden face.

"Harry what's wrong?" Draco's concern continued to rise as his best friend repeatedly failed to respond to his calls.

"He is weary in more ways than one," A deep and ancient sounding voice sounded from above and next to Draco and Harry. Draco, startled by the voice, looked up to see a replica of Kane made out of black diamond but it was at least twice the size of the actual lion and it had rubies for eyes. Wrapped around his glistening black mane was a replica of Orpheus with emeralds for eyes. Perched on the stone lion's back was a stone Aili with sapphires as eyes. Off to the side, next to the lion's legs and appearing to be asleep, was what appeared to be a badger. Just like the lion the badger looked to be twice the size of a normal badger. "Take him inside. He will find rest and peace there." The lion stood up from its sitting position and stepped aside to reveal a large archway that opened to a deep hallway.

"Here," Kane said as he appeared in front of the doorway. "I will carry him." Kane padded over on silent paws and laid down next to the pair.

Draco was taken off guard to say the least but he chose to set that aside for the time being. Instead, he focused on Harry who was still unresponsive and balling silently. Since he couldn't get Harry to move Draco pulled out his wand and levitated Harry onto Kane's back. A deep part of Draco would have preferred to carry Harry himself but he knew he wouldn't be able to support Harry's weight.

Draco started down the hallway next to Kane. He looked back briefly when he heard the stone replica of Kane move back to guard over the entrance before returning his attention back to Harry. His face was buried in Kane's mane but Draco knew Harry was still crying, his chest was rising and falling in the erratic pattern that usually indicated crying. What concerned Draco the most though was that Harry was quiet. Draco had never known a person, particularly someone who wasn't even a teenager yet, to cry like that. It was almost as if the very act of crying was terrifying him and keeping silent was his way of reducing the fear.

Draco silently pondered this as he walked beside Kane. He so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice his surroundings as they traveled up a winding staircase and through the main body of the tower. Draco only came out of his thoughts when Kane walked through a doorway and jumped on a massive bed. He laid down and gently rolled Harry off his back. Draco went over and took off Harry's shoes before gently pulling the covers out from underneath Harry and covering him up.

"There is a room across the hall in which you may rest." Kane told Draco in a whisper. "He is already starting to drift into sleep and I suggest you do the same." Draco just nodded and went across the hall as directed but he did anything but sleep.

–Scene Break–

"You will do as ordered or you will be fired!" Amelia Bones growled at the tall black man before her. "You are my employee Shacklebolt not his. Now go home and cool off." Kingsley Shacklebolt didn't bother responding. He just turned and stormed from her office.

Amelia sighed and sat down in her chair. It was only two in the afternoon but she was practically dead on her feet. Oh, her day had started fairly well. It was a quiet and slow day, the kind she liked since it meant there was peace in the world, or at least her little corner of it. Then Albus Dumbledore burst into her office just before noon. He was obviously upset about something but he managed to keep his calm enough to explain what was going on and ask for her help. Upon hearing his plight Amelia had been more than willing to come to Dumbledore's aid. She rallied her Aurors and they immediately departed for Hogwarts. That was when things got weird.

When they got to the outskirts of the wards, Amelia could feel the wards that guarded the castle snap to attention. She had spent years in that castle and then years more familiarizing herself with all types of magic so she knew the difference between new magic and preexisting magic and the wards that sprang to life at their approach was defiantly the wards that were supposed to be there. At the time, she had found it strange that the wards of the castle would come to life and deny them access to the grounds when the Headmaster of the school was there and he was their rightful guardian. They had barely spent seconds outside the wards trying to think of a way in when they started acting strange. It was nothing Amelia had ever seen before but she hadn't the time to contemplate it since Dumbledore had rushed onto the grounds towards the castle.

After everything that had happened when they had got onto Hogwarts' grounds Amelia's world had been shaken to its core. She had never been a devout follower of Albus Dumbledore like some people she knew but she had always viewed him as a paragon of what was good and in a bid to save that image Amelia immediately contacted the goblins at Gringotts. Unfortunately, they had only confirmed Harry's story. The boy truly was the heir to all four founders of Hogwarts and had every right to fire someone so long as he had valid reasons, which he provided.

"You wished to see me?" A gruff voice said pulling her out of her thoughts. Amelia looked up to see Rufus Scrimgeour, the Auror Department Head, standing just inside her door. He was a good wizard with the strongest sense of right and wrong she had ever seen and his only loyalty was towards justice. This was a man she he had come to trust implicitly above all others.

"Yes," Amelia said as she rubbed the weariness out of her face. "I want you to personally double the guard on Albus' cell with Aurors you trust above all others. Keep a very close eye on that man's cell to make sure he does not escape. Things are going to get very messy, too many people are loyal to that man, and for now, he remains frozen. It'll make it harder for someone to try and free him."

"Yes ma'am," Rufus said and turned to leave.

"And Rufus," Amelia called at the last minute causing the Auror to turn back around to look at her. "Even if someone has orders from the Minister himself Dumbledore is not to be freed. Without provocation he used an unforgivable and that alone grants him a room for life in Azkaban."

"Understood," Rufus said with a sour look on his face and Amelia knew that he would do everything to make sure Dumbledore remained in his cell.

With a sigh Amelia went about filling out paperwork and prepared for the storm that was about to break.

–Scene Break–

Dumbledore knelt in his frozen prison, unable to move, barely able to think. He couldn't breathe but he found he didn't need to. He heard Harry's sneered remark as the boy passed and he grew angry but the anger quickly died unexpectedly which confused him. He knelt there in his suspended state and pondered why that had happened until he noticed people starting to surround him and he grew hopeful when he recognized some of their faces but the hope too quickly died. Again, this confused him. Dumbledore knelt there waiting to be freed from this confusing and glistening prison of ice but the people just stared at him in varying states of disbelief, shock, and outrage.

Confused about them and so many other things Dumbledore watched in strange state of passiveness as several Aurors laid hands on his frozen cage. Expecting them to free him Dumbledore's confusion turned horror when instead of freeing him they apparated him into a dark cell. Again, the feeling he was experiencing died quicker than it had taken him to start feeling it, leaving Dumbledore in a very odd state of neutral confusion. That did nothing to assuage the knowledge that he had been arrested as a common criminal instead of freed as a fallen hero.

Despair welled up within Dumbledore before it too was whisked away and he was left alone; frozen in darkness.


	14. Chapter 14: The Winds Start Blowing

**Disclaimer: **The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me.

**A/N: **Ok everyone here's the first chapter of the next installment. To any new readers this is the third story in a series I am writing and the others can be accessed from my profile. To continuing readers I have gotten a review or two about the length of my chapters. I apologize if they seem short. I try and keep them at the bare minimum above five thousand words, no less, but I do my best to make them over six or seven thousand or even higher. I'm like you guys. I like long chapters :-) all the more story to read but sometimes the chapter just needs to end. But enough of all this babble! Enjoy the update and let me know what you think :-) I hope you guys like it.

**Warning:** As this story will progress through Harry's fourth year romantic relationships will begin to move forward a lot and while it won't be major full on naked body slash, some slash will occur. Any major slash won't occur until the end of Harry's fourth year. I realize most of my audience likes or at least doesn't mind reading homoerotic stories but fair warning to those who don't. I'd also like to point out the slash in my story is somewhat of a key piece, my story will not be wholly centered around it.

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><p>CHAPTER ONE: THE WINDS START BLOWING<p>

It was almost two in the morning and Severus stood in front of the fireplace in his private rooms drinking a glass of whiskey and wondering what had happened to the world. Not three years ago, he had viewed Albus as a one of the greatest wizards of their age, as a man who could do no wrong, and now he viewed him as he viewed the man who had branded his arm so long ago when he was just an angry child. In almost every other aspect of the man's life Albus was a great man but for some reason when it came to Harry Potter the man became unraveled and all his secrets became more visible than a black panther in a field of snow.

"I don't suppose I have to ask if you have a moment," A smooth female voice spoke from behind him. Severus whirled around and had his wand drawn in less than a second. It was a testament to how drunk he was when he visibly swayed and had to narrow his eyes before he recognized who spoke.

"What're you doing here Aili?" Severus asked as he lowered his wand and put his empty glass of whiskey down.

"I'm here to speak with you, obviously." Aili's last remark sounded so much like him that Severus had to double check to make sure he hadn't been the one to speak. "However I must do so when you are sober." Aili gave Severus a stern narrow eyed look.

"Then you should come back in the morning," Severus said ignoring her look and turning back to the fireplace.

"You know, as well as I do, what spell to use to erase the effects of alcohol," Aili said with a dangerous edge to her voice.

"I'd rather wait until morning than use that spell," Severus said with a grimace. The spell Aili was referring to would essentially shove him straight into the vilest of hangovers.

"Take a potion to curb the effects of the spell," Aili said with a clear warning in her voice.

"What is so important that we must discuss this now?" Severus asked as he weaved over to his potions cabinet. As drunk as he was he could sense that Aili wasn't going to relent on this so he figured he might as well get a headache potion ready.

"It concerns your charge," Aili said referring to Harry.

"Well aren't you enigmatic?" Severus said sarcastically as he pointed his wand at his temple. "Clareo," He incanted and almost immediately the alcohol left his system leaving him with a very massive and extremely painful headache. Severus quickly downed the bottle of headache potion and felt the pain subside to a far more manageable level. "Now," He said as he turned to Aili, walked back to his fireplace, and sat down in his chair, rubbing his temples as he did so. "What about Harry demands that you force me into an early hangover?"

"It is my understanding that you are at least partially aware of the prophecy surrounding Harry and the half dead wizard Tom Riddle, yes?" Aili asked catching Severus entirely off guard.

"What do you know of that?" Severus whispered as he leaned forward in his seat, headache forgotten entirely.

"More than you might think," Aili answered as she stretched her wings before shaking herself. She used her beak to itch the top of her left wing before she continued. "In spite of what Kane and Orpheus believe to be true I have retained a strictly observant presence over the magical world over the past several centuries. As a result, I have accumulated a fair amount of knowledge pertaining solely to the history of Wizarding society." Aili paused as she scratched the back of her head with a claw. "And what I know is not only the entire prophecy you over heard but that there is more than one prophecy pertaining to one Harry James Potter, Lord of Hogwarts."

"I sense more to that title," Severus said with curiosity shining brightly in his slightly narrowed eyes. He heard the way Aili suddenly cut herself off; though she had done her best make it seem like a natural ending to her sentence.

"It is not something I can speak of," Aili said firmly, making it clear she would not speak further on the subject. "Do to oaths I swore eons ago much of which I desire to say is off limits."

"Then why are we speaking?" Severus asked with a mild hint of annoyance in his voice. He would have been ruder to the bird if he thought it would help but Severus knew that he could not intimidate the bird.

"Because you need to know," Aili said staring Severus straight in the eye with one of her piercing yellow eyes that made Severus suddenly feel entirely too transparent for his liking. "That boy is far more important than you realize, far more important than this most recent war and the broken one's demise." Aili leaned in a little closer making Severus feel like a piece of food she was considering for a snack. "There are thousands of prophecies surrounding that child and because of this he is a magnet for trouble."

"And what would you have me do with this knowledge?" Severus asked as he attempted to retain his composure. Never in his 32 years of life had he heard of someone being the subject of over a thousand prophecies.

"Earlier, around midnight, Harry collapsed in despair." Aili informed him and Severus' heart rate picked up in fear. "The fight between him and Dumbledore pushed him to his breaking point. For twelve years that boy has fought to stay alive but the blatant attempt on his life by Dumbledore made him truly see how little love and affection he has been shown in his life." Aili straightened up and went back to idly grooming herself in between words. "He will regain his equilibrium in the morning but if we are not careful he will fall again, and again, and again until finally he ends his misery before he turns seventeen."

Aili once again turned her piercing gaze on Severus, pinning him in place and making him feel like food again. "You _must not_ let that happen. That child is far too important to meet such a fate. As difficult as it may be for you to do you _must_ give Harry support. You _must_ show him compassion. However, you must do it right and you must be sincere. If you simply start professing to Harry how much you care for him, then he won't take you seriously. The passive presence you've been since this past summer needs to come to an end." Aili narrowed her eyes making her look like the bird of prey she was. "Harry is heir to far more than just Hogwarts. Protect, support, and above all else love that boy." With that, Aili vanished leaving a rather shaken Severus in her wake.

–Scene Break–

Harry slowly came back to consciousness and he fought it every step. He was at peace in the dark depths of sleep and he did not want to come back to the world of reality. It was simply too painful to deal with anymore. In spite of his best efforts, Harry found himself awake with his face buried in something fuzzy. He leaned back and realized that he had been clinging to Kane's neck.

"_How are you little one?_" A hissing voice inquired. Harry looked down to see Orpheus slithering out from underneath the covers.

"_Tired,_" Harry said as extracted his arm from underneath Kane and rolled to sit on the edge of the bed. "_Where am I?_"

"_The master suite in your tower,_" Orpheus answered simply.

"Brilliant," Harry said without his usual enthusiasm when he said the word.

He got up, went over to what he presumed to be the bathroom, and locked the door behind him. Harry ignored the glory of the bathroom he had entered and went over to giant tub that was set into the floor and turned on the water. Over all, the bathroom was similar to the one in the Chamber of Secrets. There were stained glass windows along each wall to let in light and each one depicted a different scene but Harry didn't pay them any attention. He even ignored the clear window at the edge of the bath that gave Harry a beautiful view of Hogwarts' snowy grounds.

"Nif," Harry called as he started to disrobe.

"Yes master Harry?" Nif said when he popped in.

"Retrieve all of my personal effects from the Slytherin Dorms and bring them up here." Harry ordered. "When you're done with that, bring some breakfast to my room."

"Right away," Nif said with a quick bow before popping away.

Harry finished stripping and stepped into the pool-sized bathtub in the hopes it would help cheer him up. The warm liquid rushed over his body as he walked further into the tub and Harry felt his tense muscles gradually begin to relax. It didn't improve his mood exactly but definitely helped to ease his tension. Harry waded over to the edge of the tub where the large window was and gazed out on the grounds. The grounds were covered in fresh snow and the dark grey clouds in the sky threatened to dump more. Harry honestly wouldn't be surprised if a blizzard was on its way.

Harry continued to stare out the window and desperately tried not to think of the previous day but as he bathed, his mind eventually turned its attention towards the events of the day before. He had no qualms about trapping Dumbledore the way he did. It was the fact that he had blatantly tried to kill Harry that was the problem. For some reason no matter which way he turned it seemed people wanted him dead. So far, the only people who hadn't tried to off him were Severus, Draco, Hermione, and Neville. The rest of the staff hadn't attacked him yet and he didn't expect them to but that was beside the point. Hell according to Hagrid and everyone else he had even been attacked a year after his birth. To Harry it seemed as if his very existence was a crime against nature.

"Well tough fucking shit!" Harry suddenly declared vehemently as he slammed his hand down own the windowsill. "The world can go to hell for all I care."

Harry turned from the window with a new resolve. He finished his bath and got out. On his way out of the bathroom, he grabbed an extremely soft and fluffy towel and started drying himself off. When he got into the actual bedroom, he stopped in shock. The room was large, larger than he had previously seen but not so large as to be considered obscene.

There was a massive fireplace on the far end of the room that put every other fireplace in existence to shame, in both size and beauty. The white stone mantle that framed the massive thing was elegantly carved in no decipherable pattern that Harry could discern but there didn't need to be. The elaborateness of the carving drew the viewer in and Harry had no doubt that he could spend countless hours staring at it. In front of the fireplace, which could comfortably fit ten people, was a sitting area complete with a couch and a few chairs made of an unidentified black fabric. In the center of the arrangement was an elegant coffee table made of what looked to be dark red oak and on top of it sat his breakfast. The floor was made of the same stone as the walls, which is what the rest of the castle was made of, but throughout the room were several large, thick area rugs that looked to be Persian.

What took the cake though was the four-poster bed in the middle of the wall to his left. It was easily ten times bigger than the bed he had slept in over the summer. Each of the four posts, that held drawn back drapes, were carved in what Harry could only describe as a royal fashion since he had only ever seen such carvings in pictures of royal beds. The bedding matched the drapes. They were black silk and they covered an obviously very fluffy and extremely comfortable looking mattress, if the massive dent Kane was making as he laid on the bed was anything to go by. At the foot of the bed was a small bench to match the bed. It was mostly for decoration but it also served to help him dress and undress. On either side of the bed were windows that let in the dim light of the stormy day.

"Wow," Harry said softly, voicing his amazement at the extravagance of the room.

Harry went over to his trunk and opened the lid only to find his clothes missing. He made his way over to the only other door in the room that he knew didn't belong to either the bathroom or the main entrance. Inside he found that Nif had taken the liberty of placing all of his clothing inside the large walk-in closet. Smiling slightly at the thoughtfulness of the little elf, Harry picked out some causal robes to wear for the day. Before he got dressed, he went over to the small bureau in between the bathroom and closet doors and grabbed some underwear and socks to wear as well.

After getting dressed, Harry went over to the coffee table and ate his breakfast. There was something about the food at Hogwarts. It was simply more delicious than other foods and it only served to improve his mood. As he ate, Harry tried to decide what he wanted to do with his day. There were a few projects that he had started in secret that he'd been itching to work on but had been ignoring recently due to more important things that required his attention. There was one particular project that he had been working on since first year that he wanted to work on.

Just as he finished his breakfast and was about to put his boots on there was a slight tapping on one of the windows. He looked over and saw a dark brown owl clinging to what little ledge it could outside the window. Harry saw that it had started snowing again and he quickly made his way over to the window and opened it to let in the frozen bird.

"Now who would send you out on a day like this?" Harry inquired as he walked over to the owl, which had chosen to perch on the back of the chair nearest the fireplace, which had been supporting a small fire ever since Harry sat down to eat. The owl merely hooted in response before extending its leg. Harry noted the official seal of the Ministry of Magic as he untied the letter and opened it.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_This letter is to inform you that formal charges are being levied against one Albus Dumbledore. For his use of an unsanctioned Unforgivable Curse against you, a twelve year old, he shall be sentenced to life in Azkaban Prison. However, there are the necessary formalities of his other offenses that need to deal with. He will be charged with negligence and reckless child endangerment towards the safety and welfare of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, its students, and as I understand it yourself personally. It is not strictly necessary but it would be greatly appreciated if you were to testify on behalf of yourself and the school. _

_The trial date is set for July first of next year. _

_Sincerely, _

_The Department of Magical Law Enforcement_

_Amelia Bones_

_P.S._

_In accordance with regulations, a similar letter has been sent to your legal guardian Severus Snape. _

For the longest time Harry stared at the letter. It wasn't the contents of the letter that had him a little stunned, though that certainly was a factor. What really surprised him was that he was receiving a letter at all. It wasn't entirely inconceivable for them to have sent a letter to Severus since he was his legal guardian but for them to send one directly to him was… weird. Sure, he had received letters before, mostly from Draco and Hermione, but never had he received something of importance like this.

"Harry?" A knock at his door drew Harry out of his thoughts about the strange turns his life had taken.

"Yeah," Harry responded as he folded up the letter and put it in his robe pocket. He recognized the voice as Draco's and he wasn't surprised to see said boy poking his head through the door as he quickly slipped into his boots.

"How're you doing?" Draco asked tentatively as Harry opened the door further and gestured for him to lead the way out of the room.

Orpheus had slithered over to Harry as they walked out and resumed his place as Harry's body length tattoo but Kane remained sleeping soundly on the bed. Harry wasn't surprised really. Not only was the castle rather cold and drafty during the winter and it usually made the fierce lion sleepy. There had actually been several occasions where Harry had caught Kane sleeping as a tattoo, sometimes purring as well.

"Better than last night that's for sure," Harry said as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry for just collapsing on you last night."

"I understand Harry, you don't have to apologize." Draco reassured Harry. "I know what it's like to be pushed too far. You don't have to explain."

"Than…" Harry's embarrassed gratitude died in his mouth as they came into main room of tower and his mouth started hanging open in shock.

While the room was most definitely large, it didn't appear that way. There was a fireplace in the middle of the wall next to the hallway they had just come out of and it was identical the one in the master suite. A large, soft red area rug covered most of the floor. The couches and chairs were made of the same black fabric that was in Harry's room. On the wall next to the fireplace, opposite from where Harry and Draco were standing in shock, was a set of large glass double doors that opened to what appeared to be a balcony garden. Across from the fireplace and the obvious living area was a large oak door with the Hogwarts crest imprinted into the center. Harry assumed that was the main entrance. To their left were two doors. One lead to a formal dining room with a table as long as one in the Great Hall and decorated for Christmas, though Harry doubted he would use it any time soon. The other door led to a far less formal dining room that would be perfect for smaller parties.

"This… this… this…" Harry started stuttering as he marveled at the obvious show of wealth. There were a few paintings on the walls and in between the fireplace and the balcony was a Christmas tree that Harry suspected Nif had something to do with since all of the presents that were under his bed in the Slytherin Dorms were now under the tree. Although the fireplace would provide most of the light during night there was an enormous crystal chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling

"Perhaps," Draco said with a slight smirk on his face. Though he was a little more used to a lavished lifestyle this room was larger than any at Malfoy Manor. "We should get you out of here before you faint."

"Yeah," Harry whispered as he followed Draco's lead towards the large oak door. On the other side of it was a spiral staircase similar to the one leading to the Headmistress' office only this one had a large golden dragon on top of it instead of an eagle. "Well," Harry said as they made their way down the stairs. "You can't say that the founders don't know how to build things."

"You're just now noticing?" Draco drawled sarcastically with a smirk. Harry could only laugh as they walked down the hallway towards the guardian statue of the founders' familiars. Despite its apparent length the night before, the hallway wasn't that deep and they were soon walking past the statue. "So what do you have planned for today?"

–Scene Break–

Harry sat at a table deep within Rowena's library studying a rather thick book and taking several notes on a piece of parchment that was already crammed with notes. After going to the Hospital Wing and removing the curse from Collin Creevey's chest under close watch by Madame Pomfrey he had come here. He had decided to do so because he didn't think the boy deserved to spend Christmas in such a condition. He had been hoping that having a seasoned mediwitch watching over his shoulder would reduce the risk of something going wrong. It helped that she had managed to keep the wound fairly shallow and his foray into several medical books looking for a cure for his eyes helped even more since he had read random passages pertaining to different types of injuries. Thankfully, everything had gone well. As Harry performed the complicated counter curse with his holy and phoenix feather wand, a light inclined wand, all the better for countering Dark magic, the curse slowly dissipated in a black vapor and Madame Pomfrey was easily able to heal the rest of the wound.

Upon completing the counter curse and ensuring that Collin was well and healthy, Harry told Draco that he needed to go take care of something in Rowena's tower and that he'd be a while. Draco didn't particularly want to leave Harry alone but he knew that Aili would claw both their eyes out if he followed Harry into that tower so he had no choice but to let him go.

Harry turned a page in the book. His hand was halfway to the page with his notes when he paused. He flipped back to the page before and then forward again. There was nothing out of place; Harry just hadn't been expecting the chapter to end. He had been so absorbed in the words on the page that he hadn't noticed the approaching end to the highly informative and lengthy chapter. It was actually the single most informative and detailed chapter on the subject he was researching. He had explored others as well but none of them were as detailed and explanatory as this one was.

"Well," Harry said as he stood up. He flipped back a few pages before he put his notes in the book to mark the page he needed before closing the book and taking it with him as he left. "I guess it's time to get a little more practical about things."

"_More practical about what things?_" Orpheus hissed in curiosity. He too had been snoozing because of the cold weather but had woken up as Harry started moving.

"_You'll see,_" Harry responded with a mischievous smile on his face. With that he walked out of the library and made his way towards the Chamber of Secrets and the potions lab there to start a four-month long brewing process.

–Scene Break–

In spite of the rather disastrous start to the Christmas holidays the rest of it was surprisingly quiet. McGonagall had settled into her role as temporary Headmistress but she was far from happy. Every day she discovered more plans and plots that Dumbledore had going on that were not only unethical but often illegal and every time she came across more she immediately set out to try to fix things. As much as she hated to do so she also passed along any evidence she could find to the Aurors for proof of Dumbledore's crimes.

A few days after Christmas Severus approached Harry about Dumbledore's trial. They both discussed the issue in length for several hours before they decided that Harry would testify. It wasn't fair to the others that Dumbledore had wronged if he was cleared of the charges levied against him. Even though Dumbledore would already be serving life didn't mean that he shouldn't be held accountable for his other misdeeds.

When that had been settled things at the castle began to assume some sort of normality. The rest of the holidays passed calmly for everyone. Harry focused on his potions project mostly and had yet to really explore the tower that was now officially his residence. Draco, Hermione, and Neville were growing less worried about Harry as when he wasn't brewing he was usually seen laughing and hanging out with them. Severus was doing his best to incorporate himself more into Harry's life and to show that the boy was loved just like Aili had told him to do though if he were honest with himself that was just an excuse to finally get off his ass and do so. Despite his inactiveness in Harry's life since the summer Severus had continued to become attached to the child. He was just scared of not only opening up to Harry but also of getting hurt. His past experiences with personal relationships weren't exactly pretty.

When school resumed the entire school was buzzing about the incident over the holidays. Most of the students looked at Harry with contempt and hate for not only firing their beloved leader of the Light but also for getting him arrested on what they believed to be false charges. They all reasoned that if Dumbledore had used resorted to using an Unforgivable then he had good reason for doing so. There were only a few students, mostly from neutral families and muggleborns, that didn't give Harry a wide birth whenever he walked down the halls.

The only exception to this fact was the Slytherin House. Each and every one of them all now viewed Harry with new respect but caution as well. Firstly none of them were particularly fond of Dumbledore given their family allegiances and secondly, Harry now wielded enormous political power that had nothing to do with something his status as the Boy-Who-Lived and something he had no control over. Taking these factors into consideration Slytherin House was starting to view Harry Potter in a different light. Almost the entire house knew that Harry never acted unless provoked so they all figured that Dumbledore had indeed done what the _Prophet_ claimed he did, so when classes resumed the whole house was slightly more eager to maintain a more neutral or beneficial position with Harry. They weren't blatantly trying to become his friend or anything, Slytherins are too tactical for that, but they were trying to maintain a certain status quo with the powerful twelve year old.

As for the classes themselves, there were only two notable changes because of what happened over the holidays. The first was that DADA would be suspended for the remainder of the year until a professor could be found to uphold the position since Dumbledore had failed to find one before he was fired. The second was Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall would continue teaching the subject but only from sixth year and up. For the younger years, she enlisted the services of some of her more promising seventh year students to teach years 1-5. McGonagall had also arranged for the students who were supposed to be taking their O. and N.E. in DADA this year to take it next year since they wouldn't be able to find a replacement teacher before the term was over.

As for Harry, he ignored entirely the stares and glares that were directed towards him as he walked the halls and attended classes. He simply refused to defend his actions against those who didn't even bother to ask for the truth. One Ronald Weasley was of the worst of those who glared at him and he was far more than willing to voice his thoughts as well. The Weasley family was major supporters of Dumbledore so Harry wasn't entirely surprised by the young red head's antics and that just made him easier to ignore.

Harry did his best not to alienate his other friends in Slytherin House since he was now staying in his tower, though he didn't go out of his way to be overly friendly either. He wasn't stupid. He knew that the political mad house that Slytherin House was now completely aware of the power he could wield politically and that they were plotting ways to make him an ally. It was mainly because of that, that Harry spent most of his spare time brewing his potion and preparing to use it. That is when he wasn't doing homework and hanging out with Draco and the others.

Between school and his side project, the months quickly started to slip by and it wasn't long before April was coming to a close and the students were getting ready for the end of year exams. Everyone, that is, except Draco, Hermione, and Neville, all of whom were currently laying into Harry about his recent mysteriousness.

"Are you ever going to tell us?" Neville asked in an exasperated voice.

"Yes," Harry said with a slight smirk on his face, knowing that none of them would appreciate his next words. "When I'm done."

"Harry!" Hermione practically yelled in frustration.

"What?" He asked innocently. "Can't I surprise my friends?" Hermione just huffed at him and crossed her arms.

"Does it have anything to do with that potion you've been brewing?" Draco asked as they all waited outside their next class.

"Yes," Harry said simply.

"Well?" Hermione asked impatiently.

"Well what?" Harry asked in feigned confusion. He simply loved riling her up. Hermione simply couldn't stand it when she couldn't figure something out.

"What's the potion Harry?" Draco asked before Hermione could start strangling Harry.

"But that would be telling," Harry said in such an innocent and childish tone that even Hermione grinned a little bit.

"Will you at least give us some sort of hint?" Neville asked as they started filing into the classroom.

"Hmmm…" Harry said in thought. There really wasn't anything he could say without blatantly giving away what he was doing. "The potion is used in a ritual but that's all I can really say."

"All you can say or not it's probably the vaguest thing I've ever heard you say." Hermione grumbled before they all turned their attention to the teacher that just walked in. Harry couldn't help the smile that was on his face through most of the class.

–Scene Break–

It was an hour before midnight Harry stood stark naked in the middle of the balcony in his tower that was quickly becoming his favorite place. It was a warm May evening and the moon was high in the sky and the aromas of the many different flowers, most of which were exotic, were filling the air. Harry had craftily managed to pry Orpheus away from his role as a tattoo as well as Kane so he could be alone. It actually wasn't that hard to do really. With Orpheus, all Harry had to do was tempt the snake with some of his favorite sausages and he was quickly munching on a plate in front of the fire in Harry's room. Kane was actually easier than Orpheus was. He never really complained but Harry knew the giant cat loved to stretch out whenever he could so Harry just had to wait until the lion to fall asleep before sneaking out.

The ritual Harry wished to perform required him use the potion to draw runes all over his body which is why he was standing naked on the balcony. His only concern was that he couldn't get his back but in all of his research, it was only stated that the runes had to cover _most_ of the body not all so he wasn't too nervous about it.

Harry knelt down next to the cauldron full of the black potion he had spent four months brewing. He picked up the small paintbrush he had managed to borrow off the art teacher, dipped it into the black potion, and started drawing. Harry started with his feet and worked his way up. He had to be exceedingly careful during this process since one single flaw in any of the runes could cause the entire thing to go horribly wrong. As he continued to draw the runes, Harry could feel the air begin to stir with magic and when he finished the last rune on his forehead, with the assistance of a mirror charmed to show a revered image than normal mirrors, it was midnight and the air was charged with anticipating magic. It was old magic too, very old. Harry sensed an ancient awareness to the magic around him as he stood up but he put it out of his mind for the time being.

Slowly and very clearly, Harry began to chant. This, as with drawing the runs, was a very delicate part of the ritual. One single slip of his tongue and he'd more than likely ended up a dead mutilated mess. At his chant, the magic in the air took notice of him. It drew in closer and Harry could feel the magic evaluating him, listening to his words and examining the runes on his body.

Without warning, the magic rushed at Harry's body and began to burrow. Pain lanced through every inch of Harry's body as the magic delved deeper into his body. Harry fell back down to his knees and he heard his bones begin to pop, snap, and shift out of their normal positions and grew longer or shorter depending on what they were. Eventually the magic seemed to find what it was looking for at the center of his being and it latched onto it; bound to it. The pain continued for several more minutes and Harry's skin started to itch maddeningly before everything suddenly stopped.

Harry stood there panting for several moments. He had expected pain but that made it no less difficult to go through. After a few minutes, Harry's senses started to come back him. First, he realized that he wasn't dead which mean head had at least a partial success. Second, he could see abundantly clear. There were no lights on the balcony to help with visibility, the lights from inside weren't even very bright, but Harry could see as clearly as if the sun were at high noon. Then the smells hit him. The fabulous aromas that he had found so appealing before were now almost overwhelming. There were other smells mixed in as well. Harry could smell the wood burning in the fireplace inside, he could smell the dirt the plants were buried in, the stone the castle was built with, and even smells coming off the lake that he could only smell if he was shore side.

With tentative joy, Harry slowly looked down at his hands and saw that they had been replaced with large black furry paws. Slowly and gently, he systematically tensed and relaxed all of his muscles and was soon satisfied that nothing had gone dangerously wrong. He took a few tentative steps forward and when nothing happened to cause him to collapse he walked a little easier. He walked farther into the balcony before turning and walking back. It was a little strange to be walking on all fours but it was easy to get used to since he had a body for it now.

As he approached the glass doors Harry saw his transparent reflection and paused in surprise. He hadn't been expecting an animal this large when he had first started studying the animagus transformation but he was hardly complaining. Being a large and lithe black panther certainly had its advantages. He was about two heads smaller than Kane but Harry knew instinctively that he was fully-grown.

His appearance was flawless right down to the tail, which he hadn't realized he'd been swishing back and forth, and that only served make him smile happily as it meant nothing went wrong in the transformation. Remembering the mirror he had used to help draw runes on his face, Harry padded over on silent paws and examined his face a little more clearly. It was just like any other large feline face he had ever seen aside from his eyes. They were his eyes: marbled emerald green and silver. At least Harry presumed they were since he only saw in black and white. As he looked into his eyes though he noticed that, like any cat's eye, they reflected much more light than human eyes.

_Now comes the real test,_ Harry thought to himself.

Harry straightened up and readied himself. Feeling for the magic Harry focused on being human. His skin started itching like crazy again before it stopped. He looked down at his hands and saw that they were human in shape. He looked towards the glass doors and saw that he was standing on his feet and looking perfectly fine. With a happy smile on his face, Harry walked inside and went to bed.

–Scene Break–

Aili was perched on edge of roof overlooking the balcony where Harry had just been. She had been watching Harry ever since she discovered what he was working on in Rowena's library. At first, she thought the boy foolish. Not one witch or wizard had ever attempted the animagus transformation at such an age. The transformation might seem simple on paper but it was of the most complicated magic out there. Not only did the necessary potion require someone to brew it themselves but the actual incantation was long and complicated. The transformation also required the witch or wizard to have a deep understanding of the fundamentals of transfiguration. It usually took witches and wizards decades to prepare for the transformation and Harry had done achieved it in just over a year. The youngest to ever attempt and achieve the complicated and dangerous magic was the boy's father and his friends. To achieve such a feat at such a young age was remarkable to say the least and it only served to confirm what she already knew.

Then there was the animal Harry's animagus form had taken. Cats were rare to begin with. In almost every single culture, cats were revered and worshiped. Egyptians viewed cats as powerful guardians and were usually placed at temple entrances to ward off evil. In other cultures, ranging from Asia to Europe and even the Americas, the cat was associated with fertility, family, and childbirth. Black panthers on the other hand were in an entirely different category.

Black panthers were viewed as power animals in many cultures. They were supposed to symbolize astral travel and they represented guardian energy, death and rebirth, an understanding of death, and the reclaiming of power. They understood darkness, they were aggressive when provoked, and they had power that wasn't influenced by the sun.

If it did not so entirely fit the child's personality Aili would have sworn that something had gone wrong. The child most definitely understood the darker side of life from growing up in the household that he did and Harry absolutely had a knack for reclaiming power. Having seen death and had been so close to it at such a young age, whether he remembers it or not, Harry understood death. Although he may not realize why he does so yet, Harry was definitely a guardian. He protected the school and everyone in it when they were threatened. The only thing that had yet to manifest in the boy that was part of the animal was astral travel. Aili didn't expect this to make an appearance at all but she would not be surprised if it did.

"Things move swifter than I thought they would," Aili said aloud to herself. She looked up at the full moon, the symbol for the panther's power, with suspicious eyes. With one last glance at the garden below Aili took off into the night.

–Scene Break–

Severus stood in the front of the potions classroom as the Gryffindor and Slytherin class filed in. Out of instinct, his eyes immediately sought out the head of messy dark hair that belonged to his charge, and they almost immediately narrowed in suspicion. The child seemed… changed. His movements seemed far more graceful than they usually were, though not as graceful as to be considered inhuman. The boy also seemed more relaxed, yet more alert than Severus had come to expect from the young twelve year old.

Schooling his face into an expressionless mask and started class with a silent vow to keep a closer eye on Harry and to confront him should anything really come from it.

–Scene Break–

The last month of school passed rather quickly after Harry had completed the animagus transformation. He didn't notice at first but Harry began to notice that he was far more relaxed than he usually was. Normally there was a constant tension to his muscles, it was a result of living in a constant state of fear for ten years, but now it was gone. His shoulders were loose and free and his legs weren't tense in anticipation of making a run for his life as they used to be.

Then there were the heightened senses. His nose was picking up even the faintest of smells as if they were right under his nose. His eyes pierced the shadows easier than they used to. The greatest change in his senses though was his hearing. Where before he could usually only pick up conversations from within a few feet of him he could now pick up complete conversations from across the room. He could even hear the scratching of Severus' quill as he marked potions essays while the class brewed.

Third on Harry's list of notable changes due to the transformation were his movements. He felt like he was gliding almost. Every movement he made was smoother and more graceful than he was used to but it was easy to get used to. In fact all of the changes were. They were changes he enjoyed and he could be seen with an almost permanent smile on his face during the last month of school.

"So are you going to tell us what's put you in such a good mood for the past month or are we going to have to wait until next year?" Draco drawled as the four of them lounged out on the sunny grounds under Harry's favorite tree near the lake. They had just finished their last exam of their second year and were enjoying themselves before they were to go home tomorrow.

"Oh but it's been so much fun teasing Hermione about it," Harry couldn't help but jest even as he dug around in his bag for something. "Hey!" He exclaimed when Hermione smacked him on the shoulder with an irritated huff.

"You deserved that one Harry," Neville said with a chuckle.

"Fair enough," Harry said pulling out a thick book titled _Transfiguration: The Most Basic and The Most Dangerous._ "Page 582," He said handing the book to Hermione before resuming his position of lying on his back with his arms behind his head and enjoying the warm weather. He heard Hermione flipping through the pages and started counting the seconds until she blew. _Eight… nine…ten_.

"You did not!" She exclaimed in shock as she looked from the book to Harry in complete disbelief. Harry merely smiled smugly. Hermione passed the book to Neville and Draco and leaned over to loom over Harry with a menacing look on her face. "Harry Potter you answer me this instant."

"But you haven't asked any questions Hermione," Harry said cheekily as he cracked an eye open to look at the bushy haired girl.

"Harry," Draco said in shock when he too read the title of the page Harry had directed them to. He looked over at Harry. "Did you really achieve this?"

"Yes," Harry said happily.

"But that's impossible!" Neville said in shock and awe. "No one has achieved the transformation so young before."

"They have now," Harry said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"How long did it take you?" Hermione asked and Harry heard something more than curiosity in her voice.

"Well I started researching the topic last year after our first transfiguration class with McGonagall," Harry said as he shifted to prop himself up against the tree. "Ever since I saw her transform in front of the whole class I was fascinated by the possibility of being able to transform like that. A few days later, I went to the library and started researching the topic. I didn't get to do much research done during the school year but I had a lot of free time over the summer."

"You," Draco said trying to wrap his brain around what Harry just said. "Did this, in just over a year?"

"Free time can have its advantages," Harry said with another shrug of his shoulders and a happy smile.

"Even with all the free time in the world most wizards would take almost an entire decade to do this," Draco said in stunned amazement. "Harry I can't believe you did this in just over a year."

"Want proof?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," Draco challenged.

Harry smiled at the challenge. He stood up and quickly looked around before asking the wards to shield their presence from any unwanted eyes. Once they were in place Harry felt for the magic that was now resting just on top of his skin. He hadn't transformed since he completed the ritual but he could feel the magic there, it was a permanent part of him now. With barely a thought, he activated the magic and in the blink of an eye, he was standing on all fours with pitch-black fur that glistened in the sunlight of the early afternoon.

On silent paws that barely disturbed the grass beneath his feet, Harry stepped forward until he was nose to nose with Draco. Having not expected Harry to be telling the truth Draco sat there in both shock and fear. It was instinctual to feel fear when in the presence of a large predatory animal such as a fully-grown black panther. Suddenly Harry dragged his tongue across Draco's face and sat back on his hind legs, his tail swishing happily in the grass as Hermione and Neville suddenly burst out laughing hysterically.

"Yuck!" Draco exclaimed when he had regained control over his voice. Harry started wheezing and coughing but all of them took it for what it was, laughter.

"Harry you are so beautiful," Hermione said when she could breathe again. She went forward and started stroking his fur and Harry started purring, causing Hermione to break out in a smile again.

"You realize you're going to pay for this," Draco said as he wiped his face clean from Harry's saliva.

Harry growled in response. Feeling suddenly playful, he darted forward, licked Draco again and then dashed away in the opposite direction. Hermione and Neville burst out laughing again while Draco got up and chased after the wayward feline, unwittingly giving Harry exactly what he wanted. Harry paused long enough for Draco to catch up to him before darting off in a different direction but making sure to remain within the bubble of privacy the wards had created for him. He didn't want anyone but those he trusted to know about his animagus form. Harry dashed past the still laughing Hermione and Neville and paused by the tree briefly to see if Draco was still chasing before he darted behind the tree.

Thinking he was cleaver Draco made to go around the opposite side of the tree to head Harry off but when he ended up going all the way around the tree without running into Harry he realized the feline had slipped his grasp. He looked out over the grounds to see if he could spot the Black Panther anywhere but there was no sign of him.

"Where'd he go?" Draco asked his two friends, who were trying to control their laughter.

Both Hermione and Neville had a perfect view of where Harry had disappeared to but they didn't want to spoil anything so they both shrugged. Their laughter started rising again when they saw Harry slowly climbing down the tree directly behind Draco, who was staring at them suspiciously. When he was close enough Harry let out a loud roar scaring Draco into jumping almost high enough to reach one of the trees low hanging branches before spinning around and falling down. Hermione and Neville started rolling around and the ground and tears started streaming down their faces from laughing so hard. Draco looked like his was about to have a heart attack so Harry padded over and started nuzzling under Draco's chin to show there were no hard feelings.

"Prat," Draco grumbled but started petting Harry nonetheless, which caused Harry to start purring again.

"So Harry," Hermione managed to say though she was still fighting her laughter and threatened to crack up again at the drop of a hat. "What's it like?"

Harry sat back and transformed back to a human so he could speak. He also lowered the wards since there was no point in guarding their presence any more. "It's actually really awesome. For the most part, you retain your human mind but you think a little more instinctually than you would as a human. And the heightened senses are amazing." Harry went on to explain what it felt like to be able to transform into an animal, as well as the initial process as well.

"Do you think I could borrow this?" Hermione asked with a gesture towards the book. "I admit I've been curious about the transformation myself."

"I," Harry was about to politely say no since he had gotten the book from Rowena's library but something caught his attention. He looked up at the tree branches to see Aili perched there watching them. She gave him a long look before bobbing her head up and down in approving gesture and then took off again. "Yeah," Harry said staring at the retreating bird in curiosity. "Just make sure you don't forget it when you come back next year and no trying anything alone."

"I won't," Hermione promised on both accounts.

–Scene Break–

Harry laid dozing in his panther form on his balcony and enjoying the smells that wafted around him. Everyone had gone home the previous day and Harry had decided to take today just for himself and right now he was thoroughly enjoying himself, as evident by his tail absently moving around. The sun glistened off his fur and the shadows from all the plants kept him from overheating. The smells from the garden were nearly intoxicating but not overpowering. The wind gently rolled over his fur and practically lulled Harry into sleep as he lay in the middle of the garden.

As he flitted in and out of sleep Harry toyed with the idea of testing his limits as a panther by going for a run. It was an extremely tempting idea. The only exercise Harry had gotten while living with those muggles was running for his life or from Dudley and his gang of bullies. It would be nice to run simply for the joy of running.

Having decided Harry got up and stretched lazily and in a very feline manner. He was about to head out of the garden when he froze. To anyone observing the great cat it would've looked like he had instantly turned to stone. Not a single muscle was moving and his body was entirely relaxed and loose in anticipation of quick movement. The wind had shifted and he picked up a smell that didn't belong in his garden. It was musty and dank with a faint hint of what Harry thought was sandalwood. There was also several different scents that Harry knew belonged to potion ingredients. Harry slowly turned his head in the direction of the smell and saw Severus standing in the doorway leading to the main living area.

Severus stared at Harry with a raised eyebrow and a look that said Harry had some explaining to do. It was obvious that the man could tell the panther was Harry, though how Harry didn't know. It wasn't as if Harry was deliberately keeping this from Severus, he had actually planned on telling him but he just wasn't sure how to go about doing so. Severus gestured with a finger for Harry to follow him and Harry did so, though he remained as he was. He felt mildly safer as a panther at the moment.

On silent paws Harry followed Severus through the halls. It didn't take him long before he realized they were headed towards the Headmistress' office. A little confused as to why Severus would be taking him here Harry waited patiently as they rode the moving staircase.

"Come in," Came McGonagall's voice when Severus knocked. "Severus?" She said in confusion. "I wasn't expecting to see you for a couple of days. Figured you'd be down in the dungeons experimenting with your potions." She obviously hadn't seen Harry yet and considering her attention was focused on something she was writing Harry wasn't surprised.

"I was," Severus said explaining the smell of fresh potions ingredients Harry had detected earlier. "I was about to ask Harry for his assistance when I found this." He stepped aside to reveal Harry, who had been slightly cowering behind Severus.

"How on earth did that get in here?" McGonagall said in shock. Harry could smell the sudden fear and surprise coming from the usually stern and fearless woman. It was actually rather weird to _smell_ a person's emotions.

That was another thing Harry noticed about being a panther. His empathy was essentially turned off while he was a panther. Occlumency was a great assist towards controlling such a gift and to keep him from getting overwhelmed by all the emotions in the castle but quite a bit still got through. As a panther though he had peace from everyone's emotions and he could feel only what he felt.

"_That_," Severus said laying emphasis on the word. Harry detected tones of disappointment and anger in Severus' voice and he felt bad for not telling Severus sooner. He laid down on the floor and put his head on his paws. "Is Harry."

"What?" McGonagall squeaked much like a mouse, which was directly contradictive of her own animagus form.

"It is my assumption that Harry attempted to perform the animagus transformation." Severus explained. "If this is the case I wish you to check him out to make sure nothing went wrong. You are after all the Transfiguration expert."

"Severus that's impossible," McGonagall said as she stood up and went around her desk. "No one in history has ever even attempted such a transformation at such an age."

"See for yourself," Severus said with a gesture at Harry. "He's obviously not going to attack either of us."

McGonagall gave Severus a doubtful look before drawing her wand and started casting spells. Harry could feel the magic falling over his body but he paid it no mind. He trusted McGonagall and knew she was only attempting to discern whether or not he actually was an animagus or not. Eventually she stopped casting spells and turned back to Severus.

"As far as I can tell this is your average healthy black panther." McGonagall said with a look that clearly said she thought Severus wasn't entirely there mentally.

"Harry," Severus said looking down at the sullen cat, a clear warning in his voice. Harry sighed before reversing the magic and returning to his human form, still in his pajamas actually. He had gone out to the balcony soon after eating breakfast.

"Dear Merlin!" McGonagall exclaimed in utter shock. Her shock was so complete that Harry felt it through his shields and he had to tighten his shields to block most of it out. Harry stood there with his head bowed as McGonagall did a fairly good imitation of a fish. "H-how… How is this possible?" She finally managed to stutter out. "No one has achieved the animagus transformation at such an age. How did you manage this?"

"I had a lot of free time last summer," Harry said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I did a lot of research into the topic."

"And you just decided at random to try the transformation?" Severus said with anger in his voice. Harry flinched slightly at his tone but he stood his ground.

"Of course not!" He defended himself, looking Severus straight in the eye. "Do you have any idea how complicated the transformation is when you first perform it? It took me four months to brew that potion and over a year's worth of research and I have the notes to prove it too. It took me almost a full hour to cover most of my body in the necessary runes. I didn't 'just decide' to do anything."

"Just because you were prepared doesn't mean you should have done it you foolish boy." Severus suddenly snapped.

Harry didn't register most of Severus' words. All he heard was his tone and the word boy. It brought up images of Vernon that he thought had long since died. Feeling suddenly trapped and extremely vulnerable Harry turned and ran, transforming as he did so. He ran out of the office, down the spiral staircase, and out of the castle entirely. Harry made for the forest and climbed up the nearest tree. His sharp claws easily dug into the wood trunks of the pine tree until he came to a sturdy and thick branch that would support his weight. He stabilized himself on the branch and began to shake in fear.

–Scene Break–

Severus and McGonagall stared at where Harry had just been standing. The boy had moved with surprising speed so it took them a few moments to register that he had left.

"Fool!" A sudden cry sounded behind them and startling them both. They both turned to see Aili perched on the edge of McGonagall's desk. "You yell at a child who's been abused for ten years? The very same child who recently had a break down." Aili flew closer and perched on the fireplace and loomed over Severus menacingly. Her yellow eyes were narrowed in anger as they glared into Severus' obsidian one's. "That very same child whom I told you to protect and _support._ How foolish can you get!"

Severus stared dumbfounded at Aili. He hadn't thought about any of that when he had snapped at Harry. All he was thinking about was how Harry could've died or worse if something had gone wrong. He wasn't angry that Harry had performed the magic but rather because he had done so alone, without someone there to help if something went wrong.

"Go and fix things," Aili growled in a pretty good imitation of Kane. "He's on the edge of the forest in one of the trees. Headmistress, it would be a pleasure if you and I could talk briefly." Aili glared at Severus until the man left the room. She then glided over to McGonagall's desk and waited for the witch to come out of her stupor.

–Scene Break–

Despite the warmth he was receiving from both the sun and his fur Harry couldn't stop shivering. He had no clue why he had suddenly flashed back to Vernon when Severus had snapped at him like that and he didn't understand why he had panicked either. Whatever the reason though Harry was terrified. He took a deep breath to try and calm down but that ended up making it worse. The wind was blowing in his direction and he once again picked up Severus' scent.

He looked in the direction of the castle and saw said man walking towards the forest. Harry's terror grew worse and he stopped thinking rationally. All he knew was that he was trapped fifteen feet off the ground. He wanted to get down but could identify a safe path since most of the branches below him were thin and week, not to mention after a few feet the tree trunks were void of any branches period.

Without warning an image of Draco popped into Harry's mind and then he wasn't looking at Severus approaching the forest any more.


	15. Chapter 15: Consequences

**Disclaimer: **The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me.

**A/N: **Ok everyone here's the new update! Sorry it took so long for me to get this up, I've just had a lot going on. Hope you all enjoy. Review and let me know what you think :)

* * *

><p>CHAPTER TWO: CONCEQUENCES<p>

Harry was confused and disoriented. He had no idea what just happened. One minute he was cowering in fear fifteen feet in the air as Severus approached the forest and the next he was standing in a room he had never been in before. It was a bedroom, that much he could tell through his panic induced haze. There was a large four-poster bed in the middle of the room. There were three wardrobes on the wall across from Harry's position and behind Harry was a desk next to a small balcony overlooking a large garden.

Suddenly Harry's delicate ears picked up the sound of footsteps approaching the closed door of the room he was in. With his fear kicking in again, Harry ran for the bed and darted underneath. He crouched in the shadows underneath the bed and remained perfectly still, he barely continued to breath. Being completely unaware of where he was meant that he was in indiscernible danger and that was never good, especially when your name was Harry Potter.

Harry pressed himself against the wall under the bed as the door swung open to admit a pair of leather boots and fine robes that walked over to the desk next to the balcony doors and sat down. The smell of roses and some sort of strong scented shampoo that Harry couldn't identify wafted over to his nostrils. It was a combination that smelled familiar to Harry but he was too distraught at the moment to place where he had smelled it before.

Deciding to take a risk to get some answers Harry inched forward, making almost no sound what so ever. He froze when the boots shifted but when they didn't move again, Harry crept forward until he was at the edge of the bed. He could see more of whoever had walked in but not the face. In desperate need of answers, Harry risked his position and moved until his head was poking out from underneath the bed. He looked up and saw the face of his best friend. It was such an unexpected sight that Harry accidentally released a shocked half meow half growling sound. This of course got Draco's attention and he looked up. Harry, still uncertain and fearful, quickly pulled back under the bed, but again this only served to catch Draco's attention.

Draco, having heard the sound and caught the movement, directed his attention from the letter he was writing to the floorboards under his bed. Cautiously, he stood up and knelt down a good distance away from the bed incase whatever it was that was under there wasn't friendly. Slowly he lowered himself until he could see under the bed.

"Harry?" He asked in confusion when he recognized the marbled eyes of his best friend. Harry's ears perked up from their flattened position at the sound of his name. The fact that it wasn't said out of hostility or anger helped to ease his fears slightly. "How did you get in here?"

Harry just laid there staring at his best friend and didn't respond. His fear had subsided slightly when he realized that it was Draco he was with but he was still scared of everything. With his instincts dominating his mind Harry wasn't inclined to transform so he could speak. Something was just screaming at him not to change.

"Harry," Draco could sense the fear from his best friend and knew he had to handle this carefully. Slowly extended his open hand and laid it on the floor a few inches from Harry's paws. "It's ok Harry you're safe."

Harry hesitated briefly before he inched forward and placed his chin in Draco's palm. Draco smiled reassuringly and started scratching Harry's chin. The sensation was too much for him and Harry started purring. He closed his eyes and slowly his muscles started to relax and loosen up and the slight tremor that had pervaded his body since Severus had yelled at him began to fade. Unfortunately, Harry picked up another set of footsteps approaching the door and he quickly pulled back with a slight growl. Draco was about to try and coax Harry back into a calm state before he too heard footsteps.

"Draco?" A female voice that Draco new to be his mother's. Thankfully, his father would be out at the Ministry all day but it was still a relief to know that it was only his mother. He didn't even want to think about what would happen if his father discovered Harry at the manor. "Who are you talking to?" Narcissa Malfoy asked as she walked into Draco's room. The smell of fine perfume overwhelmed Harry's nostrils and he had to fight not to sneeze.

"One moment please mother," Draco said politely to his mother before returning his attention back to the panther under his bed. "Harry, it's ok. She won't hurt you. You're safe."

Harry glanced between the open and reassuring face of his best friend and the pair female feet in high-heeled shoes that continued to make him want to sneeze. He looked back to Draco, who nodded, and decided to trust in his friend. After all Draco had never lied to him before. Harry started crawling his way forward and made his way out from under the bed.

"Draco," Narcissa said nervously when she saw the large predatory feline climb out from under Draco's bed. Harry heard her tone and smelled her fear and he started shaking again.

"Shhh," Draco soothed as he scratched Harry behind the ears. "Mother, this is Harry Potter. Harry this is my mother Narcissa Malfoy."

Harry was busy purring loudly as Draco continued to scratch behind his ears but when he heard Draco make the introductions he opened his eyes and looked at the woman before him. She was a tall woman, about 5'11, with blue eyes and an unusual combination of black and blond hair. Her face was a stone mask but he could smell the nervousness rolling off her.

"Where did you get a fully grown black panther and why did you name it after your best friend?" Narcissa asked, her tone making it clear she wanted a straight answer.

"I didn't name him after Harry mother, he is Harry," Draco told her. He never planned to tell his mother that Harry had managed to become an animagus but circumstances meant he had to. When his mother gave him, a look that clearly said he'd better start explaining or he'd be in trouble he elaborated. "Look at his eyes. Have you ever seen a panther with marbled eyes like this?"

"Alright," Narcissa said when she realized Draco was right. "If this is Harry then how did he manage to become a black panther? Not to mention how did he come to reside under your bed?"

"As for the panther bit Harry completed the animagus transformation about a month before summer started," Draco informed her as if it were no big deal. Harry smelled disbelief and surprise coming off Narcissa. "As for how he ended up under my bed I'm not sure about that." Not liking where the conversation was going Harry started inching backwards slowly. He kept retreating until he ended up bumping into the wall. "Harry what's wrong?" Draco asked in concern. Harry just darted back under the bed.

"Clearly something has happened," Narcissa said as she eyed the floorboards under Draco's bed.

"Narcissa!" A stern and rather angry sounding voice called from downstairs.

"What is he doing home so early?" Draco said in a whispered panic.

"I don't know," Narcissa said as she looked to the hallway behind her. She was just as concerned as Draco was about Lucius being home so early. She never wanted to have any involvement with the Dark Lord but she had been pregnant at the time and defying Lucius meant she'd be defying her family and she likely would have ended up dead for betrayal of them and the Dark Lord. Thus, she had been quite pleased when the Dark Lord had been stopped. "Keep him hidden and send a letter to Severus. I'll take care of your father." She stalked off down the hallway, closing Draco's door behind her.

–Scene Break–

"Shit!" Aili suddenly exclaimed, interrupting her conversation with McGonagall.

"What?" McGonagall asked in surprise. She didn't get an answer though as Aili immediately took flight out the window.

Aili flew as fast as she could towards the forest. Severus was a few feet from the trees but was already scanning the trees for any sign of Harry. She darted out of the sky and landed on the branch where Harry had once been. The only sign that something had been up there were large, deep gashes in the bark of the tree that indicated some sort of feline had climbed the tree.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Aili swore again.

"Aili?" Severus called from the ground. "What're you doing up there?" Aili didn't respond right away. She focused on some of her magical senses until she found what she was looking for and had expected to find.

"He's gone," Aili said as she dived down from the branch and hovered in front of Severus. "Get back to the castle and do what you can to find him." When Severus looked about to ask questions she interrupted him. "Explanations can be held later! The child must be brought back to safety!" Understanding the urgency of the situation Severus nodded and bolted for the castle with Aili on his heels.

"What's going on?" McGonagall asked worriedly when she saw Severus running for the castle. She had left her office just after Aili fled through the window and she had just reached the main doors of the castle when she saw Severus.

"Harry has disappeared," Severus huffed. "We have to find him."

"Mr. Severus Snapes sirs," A squeaky voice suddenly said before anyone could move from the main entryway. Severus looked down to see a house elf he recognized as Dobby from Malfoy Manor.

"What're you doing here?" Severus demanded, though not cruelly. He knew the elf was terrified of most wizards due to being under Lucius' thumb for several years.

"I has a letter for you sirs." Dobby said as he held out a slightly shaking hand that held a piece of parchment. Severus took the letter and read it.

_I have the marble-eyed shadow. Would like some answers. Safe at moment but the snake is home._

_Draco_

"Crap," Severus swore as he pinched the bridge of his nose. This was entirely his fault.

–Scene Break–

Once Draco sent Dobby off with the letter, he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his hands over his face. He could hear his parents bickering about something downstairs. He couldn't understand the words since his door was closed but from their tones, he knew it was something important. Draco didn't doubt that Severus would soon be there but he had no idea how they would get Harry safely out of the manor without Lucius finding out.

Speaking of Harry, said feline was currently poking his head out from under the bed again. The look of fear on Harry's face made Draco's heart wrench. It was not a look he liked seeing on his best friends face. He much preferred it when Harry was smiling or laughing. Draco had to wonder what had caused Harry to become so fearful but he doubted he'd get any answers out of Harry and he didn't want to frighten him even more.

The two sat in their perspective positions for some time in a semi comfortable silence. It felt like hours but neither truly knew how much time had passed. Harry thought about coming out entirely from under the bed and going over to Draco but the angry voices coming from downstairs kept him in place. He picked up a few random words but couldn't make any sense of them. He did take some comfort from the fact that it didn't appear that they were talking about him. Eventually Harry started dozing with his eyes half lidded but that didn't last long.

The noise coming from downstairs went suddenly silent. Harry strained his ears but couldn't hear any talking coming from downstairs. Then Harry heard what he thought to be the floo network. He took big whiffs of the air but could only catch scents of Draco, Narcissa, and ash. He heard the sounds of soft talking but couldn't make out any words or tones. After a few moments, he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. They were calm, controlled, and concise. As they drew closer, Harry withdrew deeper under the bed and hid in the shadows. The door to Draco's bedroom opened to admit a pair of boots that Harry recognized all too well. Harry didn't freak out when he realized Severus had found him as he did before, time to calm down had helped with that, but he was still very leery of the man right now, though he still didn't understand why he had freaked out in the first place.

"Severus," Draco said in way of greeting as Severus closed the door and put up some privacy spells.

"Hello Draco," Severus responded.

"So how's your summer going?" Draco drawled rhetorically and Harry couldn't help grin at his best friend.

"Where is he?" Severus said seeming to ignore Draco's comment but both boys could hear the hint of amusement to the man's voice. Draco must have gestured towards the bed because Severus moved forward and knelt down to look under the bed.

"Harry," Severus said gently but Harry hissed in discomfort and crouched further away. "Harry I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you the way I did." Harry just stared at Severus and made a sound deep in his throat that neither Severus nor Draco could identify. Severus sighed and said, "This would be easier if you would transform so we could talk."

Severus received a dissatisfied hiss in response followed by a, "That would be ill advised." Severus and Draco looked up towards the source of the voice and saw Aili perched on the top of one of the bedposts.

"Why?" Draco asked in confusion.

"Because it is my opinion that the only reason Harry has not been discovered here by your father is because he is in all actuality, an animal." Aili explained as she looked down at Severus with narrowed eyes. "Most wards are not set up to detect the presence of anything but humans. If he transforms there is a high probability that your father will discover him. And by the way, he wants to know why." Why she received confused stares she elaborated with a stern glare at Severus. "Why you snapped." Severus sighed and tried to explain.

"Harry," He said turning he attention back to the marble-eyed panther. "I didn't yell at you because I was angry. I yelled because I was scared." Harry let out an intrigued sound. "Yes scared. That transformation is often lethal when it goes wrong. I was scared because I could've lost you."

Harry stared at Severus for several moments. He hadn't expected such an answer. He knew that Severus cared at least somewhat for him but not that much. No one had ever cared for him like that before. The only person he could think of that might come even remotely close to caring for him like that was Draco. After at least ten minutes, Harry started to crawl his way out from under the bed but he didn't get even half way before he paused.

Something had caught his attention and his senses leaped into overdrive. He bared his teeth, let out a low throaty growl and locked his eyes on what he could see of the bedroom door. The stench of perverted and twisted Dark magic infected the air and Harry didn't like it in the least. Severus recognized the warning for what it was and immediately stood up and dropped his privacy spells, just in time for Lucius to walk in the door.

"Severus," Lucius greeted rather coldly. Harry didn't like the tension he was getting from the man and the residue of Dark magic that hung in the air around him didn't help matters either. Very, very slowly Harry backed his way out the other side of the bed and prepared himself to move if necessary. He made sure that he didn't make a single sound and that he kept his eyes locked on Lucius feet in case the man moved.

"Lucius," Severus responded neutrally. He was unsure about why Lucius was there and acting so cold but he too could sense the Dark magic in the air. He knew that Lucius' day at the Ministry had taken a sour turn, he had heard that much when he flooed to ask permission to come over and see Draco, but he hadn't realized that the aristocrat was this upset.

"I think it is time you left." Lucius said icily and Harry could feel the temperature in the air drop a few degrees. "Draco and I have things to discuss."

"Very well," Severus said, still in a neutral tone but Harry could smell that he was nervous. Clearly, Severus had a bad feeling about the situation as well and didn't want to leave but he didn't want to get into a fight either. "I will speak with you later Draco. Lucius."

"Severus."

–Scene Break–

Severus made his way down the hall and down the stairs towards the floo parlor. Each step he took made Severus feel more and more nervous. There was something off about Lucius today. He had seen Lucius on bad days before but not like this. Something had happened at the Ministry to seriously piss the dangerous man off. When he got to the floo room, he paused when he saw that it was empty. He would've bet money that Narcissa would've seen him out. The two of them were good friends and she no doubt would've wanted to know why Harry Potter, as a panther no less, had suddenly appeared in her son's bedroom. He turned from the floo parlor and went to search for Narcissa.

–Scene Break–

"Draco," Lucius said purred in a dangerous tone. As soon as Severus had left Lucius shut, locked, and warded the door which made Harry's hair stand on end. He relaxed his muscles and prepared to move. "Would you care to explain to me why I only just found out, in the middle of an important meeting, that my heir is running around consorting with mudbloods and traitors?"

_Crap,_ Harry thought to himself. He and Draco had gone to great lengths to keep Lucius ignorant of the activities at Hogwarts, even going as far as to ask Severus and Narcissa for help, but apparently, something had slipped through their net.

"I–" Draco started to say but was cut off by his father.

"Crucio!" Lucius snapped.

The instant he heard the Unforgivable Harry saw red and moved. He jumped on the bed and then leaped at Lucius with an angry roar. Not expecting a large predatory cat to be in the room Lucius was caught completely off guard, though he somehow managed to remain on his feet as Harry collided with him. Harry's front left paw marred Lucius' face before digging into his shoulder. Harry's right paw wrapped around and dug into Lucius back. His back paws dug into soft flesh of Lucius abdomen and punctured several organs while his teeth… his teeth were designed to pierce the flesh of small game and they easily sliced into Lucius' shoulder as if it were nothing more than melted butter.

Blood gushed into Harry's mouth but he ignored the metallic taste. Lucius tried to fight back but Harry clamped his jaw down harder, shattering the collarbone and causing Lucius scream in pain. Despite the pain, Lucius tried to grab at Harry's fur but Harry wracked his back paws over Lucius' stomach and bit down harder. Blood continued to pour into Harry's mouth and it took all of his strength not to swallow out of reflex.

Eventually the blood began to slow. Lucius' grip went lax and he finally fell to the ground on his back. When they hit the ground, Harry finally released his grip on the quickly dying man. He unclamped his jaw from the flesh he had almost completely tore from Lucius' shoulder and stood up properly. As he did so Harry's mind came out of the haze it had been in since he heard the Unforgivable curse leave Lucius' mouth. Horror began to flood Harry's mind at what he had done. Sure, the man was a bastard and a cruel human being, if he could be called such, but that didn't change the fact that Harry had just killed someone.

"Harry," A whispered and strained voice sounded from behind Harry.

Looking back Harry saw Draco, who had the displeasure of briefly experiencing the curse, trying to sit up against the bed from where he had fallen on the floor. He had a look in his eyes that Harry couldn't read but they were nothing compared to the look Harry had in his eyes. They were hallow and haunted. Feeling disconnected Harry padded over to Draco and laid down on the floor next to him. His fur was covered in blood so he did his best not to touch Draco but despite the blood Draco laid a comforting hand on Harry's head.

"Draco!" A sudden cry came from behind the warded door. Draco started slightly but Harry was too far gone to shock that he hadn't even heard the footsteps racing down the hall let alone react to the voice. The door suddenly shattered and both Narcissa and Severus stormed in with their wands drawn. They froze though when they saw the sight before them. After a few moments, Severus turned from the body and went over to Harry.

"Harry," Severus said gently as he picked up Harry's head, easily ignoring the blood, and looked into those beautiful emerald and silver eyes.

"I think he's in shock," Draco said as Narcissa helped him stand up. However brief he had been under the curse it still weakened him.

"Harry can you transform for us?" Severus asked and not a moment later Harry was on his knees, still in his pajamas (which were now covered in blood) and staring blankly at Severus. "Good," Severus encouraged. "Now, get your necklace out and use it to take Draco and yourself back to Hogwarts." Harry dully held out a hand and when Draco took it, they disappeared in a small flash of white light.

"Let us clean up this mess," Narcissa said grimly and the two of them began the grim task of covering things up.

–Scene Break–

"Come on," Draco said as bent down to help Harry to his feet when they reappeared in The Sanctuary moments later. "Let's get you cleaned up."

Draco led a compliant but unresponsive Harry through the halls of Hogwarts' secret tunnels until they were near the center of the castle where Harry's tower was. Once inside he led Harry up to his bedroom and then the bathroom where he proceeded to help Harry remove his bloody clothing. When that was done, he directed Harry into the small shower stall to wash the blood from his hair and skin. While Harry was in the shower Draco went over to the sinks and washed his hands before removing his own clothing, which had gotten bloody from holding Harry close.

"Dobby," He called wearily.

"Yes master Draco?" Dobby said when he appeared.

"Dispose of this bloody clothing, as well as Harry's. When you're done with that, bring my clothing and other personal affects and put them in the room across the hall. And make sure my wand is among my things." Draco ordered.

Dobby popped away to do as he was told. Draco stared into the mirror at his half-naked reflection and tried to sort through his conflicting emotions. On one hand, he was glad Lucius was dead. He had long ago stopped thinking of the man as his father and truly, it was no great loss to the world, if anything it was a benefit. On the other hand, though, the man was technically his father and his death meant the death of a good portion of his life. It would be strange to be able to operate without the man looming over his shoulder yet not unpleasant. In the end, though, none of that mattered. What mattered was that he was gone and there was no doing back from that.

Turning his attention away from his own thoughts Draco moved away from the mirrors and back towards the shower stall. The shower was still running but it had been at least fifteen minutes. Draco thought Harry would've washed the blood off in the same mechanical manner as he had done everything else and then got out.

"Harry?" Draco called softly so he didn't startle Harry.

When he didn't receive an answer, as expected, Draco slowly looked around the corner of the shower stall. He saw Harry standing underneath the shower staring at his hands as he continuously scrubbing his hands, in spite of the fact that all the blood had long been washed down the drain. With his concern for his friend growing, Draco walked forward and gently put his hands over Harry's.

"It won't come off," Harry said, the first words he had spoken that day since Severus had snapped at him. "It won't come off."

"It will," Draco reassured as he took Harry in his arms and led him out of the bathroom, grabbing some towels on their way out.

Draco stood Harry next to his bed and started drying him off. When he was finished with that he went to get some clothes for Harry out of his closet while his traumatized friend stood there naked rubbing his hands together trying to get the blood off. Draco felt mildly guilty as he started to dress his friend. He had lied when he said that the blood would come off. Killing someone, whether justified or not, would forever stain the killer's hands with blood. Time would only lessen the person's guilt of their actions but it would never remove that stain. The person could deal with it and come to terms with what they had done but the blood on their hands, which only they could see, would always be there.

When he had Harry fully dressed in comfortable clothing Draco straightened up and absently glanced out the window. Twilight had fallen over the land and Draco realized how late it had become. It had been just after one in the afternoon when Harry had appeared in his bedroom and now it was almost dark. With a sigh, Draco helped Harry into bed. He was about to leave to go put clothes on when Harry suddenly latched onto his arm.

"Stay," He pleaded with frightened eyes.

Draco was about to say that he needed to put clothes on but he just couldn't say no to the terrified look in Harry's eyes. He borrowed Harry's wand from the bedside table and quickly dried himself off before climbing under the blankets. Once Draco was comfortable, Harry borrowed into his side and put his head down and Draco's chest. Draco was slightly uncomfortable at this, given his state of dress, but when Harry suddenly started crying that went out the window. He shifted slightly before wrapping his arms around Harry and held him close as he started sobbing.

Kane and Orpheus, both of whom had been trapped in their tattoo forms while Harry had been in his animagus form, appeared next to the bed. Neither of them had been able to intervene in the situation at the manor and they both truly regretted that they couldn't spare Harry this pain. Kane's eyes were filled with a deep sadness as he shifted his eyes from Harry to Draco. He gave the blond a meaningful look and a nod before leaving the room. Orpheus slithered up one of the bedposts and made his home hanging from the curtain rods.

Eventually Harry's sobs slowed before his breathing evened out all together. Draco looked down to see that Harry had once again cried himself to sleep. In his opinion Harry was doing far too much of that, though he couldn't fault Harry for any of the occasions when he had done so. Not daring to move Draco just lay there holding his best friend and slowly drifted off into his own sleep.

–Scene Break–

Severus stood in the middle of Draco's room at Malfoy Manor examining every last inch of the room. It looked immaculate, exactly the way the bedroom of a thirteen-year-old pureblood wizard should look like, especially for one of Draco's standing. It had taken the better part of three hours to clean up all the blood and an hour more to come up with a reasonable cover story for Lucius' death.

In truth, it wasn't that difficult. Narcissa and he were both skilled liars and Severus was an expert in concealing and forging a crime scene. It was something that the Dark Lord had praised him about many times and it wasn't long before he had become not only the Potions Master for the Dark Lord but his cleaner as well. He was the reason only about half of Death Eater activity had been reported.

"Are you finished?" Narcissa asked as she walked into Draco's room.

"Yes," Severus said as he made one more pass over the room. "You?"

"All set," Narcissa confirmed with a nod. "I spoke at length with Adeline and Blaise. Draco went straight there after returning from Hogwarts and I will be in France visiting my favorite aunt Dionne. Neither knows the exact details of what has happened but they know enough and considering no one I know actually liked Lucius they're all more than willing to help us."

"His body?" Severus asked as they walked towards the floo parlor.

"In the Carpathian mountains as agreed." Narcissa answered readily. They had already discussed this but it never hurt to double check everything. "He's on a muggle jogging path in the woods wearing muggle clothing that's been shredded to match the wounds. He doesn't have any form of identification and has preservation spells charmed to vanish the moment someone finds his body." Both Narcissa and Severus smirked at the thought of Lucius, the biggest hater of all things muggle, being found by muggles in a muggle area and wearing muggle clothing.

"And his wand?" Severus asked as they came to a stop in front of the fireplace.

"Snapped and made to look like part of the forest," Narcissa answered easily.

"Good," Severus said with a satisfied nod. "Enjoy France Narcissa."

Narcissa nodded to Severus before disappearing into the floo network. Severus waited a few moments before stepping into the floo and returning to Hogwarts.

"Severus? Is that you?" The voice of Minerva McGonagall sounded the minute Severus stepped out of the fireplace. "Where's Harry?"

"More than likely in his tower already," Severus answered wearily. Minerva was one of the few people Severus ever let his guard down around. He went over and sat down in front of her desk.

"What happened?" Minerva asked with a frown.

"Can you keep a secret Minerva?" Severus asked with a pointed look. He had no idea if she had any Occlumency training or not but she would need to know what had happened in order to help protect Harry.

"Yes," Minerva answered, understanding that Severus was asking not only if she wouldn't tell anyone but if she could guard her mind from others.

"Lucius Malfoy is dead," Severus said after a few minutes to collect his thoughts.

"What? How?" Minerva asked after staring at Severus in shock at the sudden proclamation for several minutes.

"I'm unsure as to why but I'm assuming that Lucius started harming Draco in some form and because of this Harry attacked Lucius… while he was in his animagus form." Severus explained.

"Oh god!" Minerva said in shock as she realized what Severus was saying. "Is Harry ok?"

"That remains to be seen," Severus said with an unsure shrug of his shoulders. "He is at least safe from the authorities. Unless they pry the information from his mind or ours then no one will know that Harry killed Lucius. To that end, should his death become an issue and you are questioned it would be prudent that you vouch for Harry's whereabouts if he is suspected."

"And where should I say he was?" Minerva asked. She didn't particularly like the idea of participating in the cover up of a murder, even if the victim was someone like Lucius Malfoy, but she knew Harry rather well, as well as Severus, and she didn't want a twelve year old to be charged with murder. He'd be having enough issues coming to terms with what he had done already.

"With me, brewing potions all afternoon." Severus answered as he stood up.

"Alright then," Minerva said with a sad nod. "Let me know how he's doing?" She asked as Severus turned to leave the office.

Severus nodded before leaving the office. As weary as he was from all the spell casting he had done that afternoon Severus didn't make his way straight to his rooms like he usually would after a day like today. Instead, he went straight for Harry's tower. He was seriously concerned for his charge. Killing could rip someone apart and Harry, despite his strong and hard exterior, had an exceptionally innocent soul. If they weren't careful then Harry might never come back from this.

"Severus," An ancient voice said bringing Severus out of his thoughts. He looked up and saw the statue of the founders' familiars blocking his path.

"Is he in there?" Severus asked while he silently pondered why the statue had stopped him so they could talk.

"They're both sleeping," The effigy of Aili said as they moved aside. "I suggest you be quiet."

Severus eyed the statue curiously as he walked past. The statue of the founders' familiars usually ignored him every time he came to the tower. He found it odd that they suddenly decided to speak with him. Putting the matter from his mind at the moment, Severus continued made his way through the tower until he located the master suite on the second floor. He gently opened the door and went inside. He went over to the bed and was rather surprised at what he found. His godson was seemingly half-naked and holding Harry close to his chest rather tightly and both were sound asleep.

Severus was about to demand what was going on when the guardian statue's words floated through his mind again. He snapped his mouth closed and looked at the situation more closely. He noticed that Harry's hair was still damp and that he had dried tear tracks running down his face.

Severus sighed quietly in relief and silently berated himself for jumping to conclusions. It wasn't that he was against such things, far from it. The Wizarding World was far more open and lax about such things as homosexuality than the muggle one and he wouldn't be against such a union if that was where they decided to take things. No, the only thing that concerned him was that they were too young for such things, despite their displayed maturity.

Very quietly, Severus left the room and went to get some rest of his own.

–Scene Break–

Harry slowly came back to awareness from the dark depths of sleep. The first thing he became aware of was that he was laying on something warm and surprisingly comfortable. The next thing he realized was that whatever he was laying on was breathing, which meant it was alive. At first he thought he had cuddled up with Kane again last night but he nixed that idea when he felt skin under his face instead of fur.

Harry opened his eyes and made to move so he could better see what he was laying on but he froze when arms tightened around him and the body beneath him shifted slightly. Harry blinked a few times to clear his eyes and then looked up towards the head of the bed. Seeing the sleeping face of his best friend attached to the body he was laying on made Harry's face turn beet red. The fact that Draco was shirtless didn't help his embarrassment either.

Slowly Harry managed to extract himself from Draco's arms without disturbing his friend. He sat up and turned away from his blond friend as a wave of memories flooded his mind. Looking down at his hands Harry's mind flashed to when they were drenched in blood. He started rubbing his hands together in an attempt to get the blood off but it wasn't working. Harry started to panic and rubbed faster. Suddenly another set of hands covered his own and he was wrapped in a warm embrace. He fought at first and tried to keep rubbing but eventually he gave in and collapsed against the comforting chest behind him.

"Do you hate me?" Harry whispered with tears in his eyes again. He hated the question and dreaded the answer but he had to know.

"I could never hate you Harry," Draco answered as he held Harry tight and close to his chest.

"But I killed your father," Harry sobbed as the tears in his eyes began to fall.

"You defended me against a cruel and vicious man," Draco corrected. "And I had long ago stopped calling that man my father. Believe me when I say this, Harry; we all are better off without Lucius Malfoy in our lives." They sat in the middle of the bed for some time while Harry continued to cry. Draco just held Harry throughout it all without complaint. "Harry?" He asked when Harry had calmed down.

"Hmmm?" Harry responded as he used the sleeve of his nightshirt to dry his face.

"Would you mind if I went to go put clothes on?" Draco asked gently. "I'll be back in just a few minutes."

Harry's embarrassment returned tenfold and he completely forgot about yesterday for the moment. "Yeah," He answered as he tried to hide his burning face.

"I'll be right back," Draco said giving Harry a reassuring squeeze before getting out of bed.

Almost immediately Harry felt cold and alone but he did his best to ignore the feeling. His mind was sufficiently distracted as he watched Draco leave the room. The blond was in good shape for thirteen years. He was thin but not too thin and he had grown a couple of inches since Harry had seen him on the last day of school. His muscles were well defined but not overly so. His legs were long and solid and his back was strong. The only thing Draco had on at the moment was a pair of black silk boxers that –

_What the hell is wrong with you!_ Harry snapped at himself as he tore his eyes away from his best friend.

The second Draco disappeared through the door to his own room Harry practically flung himself off the bed and into the bathroom. He went over to the sink and splashed some cold water in his face. Harry had never had such thoughts about Draco, about anyone, before and it only served to confuse him and make him feel even more dirty than he already felt from killing Lucius. He splashed more water in his face to try and clear is head before going over to the toilet to relieve his bladder.

When he was done in the bathroom Harry made his way over to the fireplace and sat down in the corner of the couch. It may have been summer but unless it was a particularly warm day that castle was still fairly drafty which was why a fire sprung up the moment he sat down. Harry just stared into the blazing depths of the all-consuming force and tried to burn away his memories of yesterday. It was an impossible concept to achieve in reality, unless Harry wanted to destroy his mind, but the least Harry could do was suppress the memories so he could function and then slowly deal with them in private.

It wasn't the best method to deal with something like this but it was the only thing Harry really knew how to do. It was how he had survived ten years of abuse intact. He skirted the memories of an event until he could face them and come to terms with what had happened.

Realization smacked Harry in the face like a sack of rocks. He understood now why he had reacted the way he had when Severus snapped at him. Ever since running from the Dursley's Harry had done his best to simply forget them rather than come to terms with what they had done to him. After all he never had any intentions of returning to those muggles so what was the point in thinking about the people who had abused him. Apparently that had been a mistake on Harry's part.

"Hey," Draco's voice said gently. Harry pulled himself out of his thoughts when he heard Draco's voice. He looked over just as fully clothed Draco sat down next to him. "How are you doing?" Harry merely shrugged. He wasn't really sure how he felt at the moment. "Well since neither of us have anything important going on how bout we just lay around and relax."

Harry thought about it for several moments. He didn't like the idea of doing nothing. It would drive him crazy.

"I want to brew," Harry said eventually. It would help keep him distracted enough to sort through his thoughts and feelings. Draco nodded in understanding before following Harry off the couch and out of the room.

–Scene Break–

The days dragged by for Harry. He spent most of his time brewing and experimenting with potions. Draco almost never left his side and usually brewed right along with him. For the first few days Harry wouldn't eat anything but when Draco refused to let him have access to his potions lab he had no choice but to start eating again, despite the fact that he had no appetite.

Nights were the worst. Nightmares plagued Harry's sleep and he usually woke up screaming and crying. This caused Draco and Severus, who had taken to staying in the tower to keep watch over Harry, to come rushing into his room to calm him down. It had gotten to the point where no one was getting much sleep. During the nights where he couldn't get back to sleep Harry took to wandering either his tower or the castle if he was particularly restless.

It was during one of these nightly wanderings that Harry stumbled upon one of the treasures hidden away in his tower. On the fourth floor, two floors above the bedrooms, was a massive room filled with every instrument imaginable; magical, muggle, modern, and old-fashioned. Guitars, trumpets, tubas, clarinets, drums, flutes, harps, violins, and cellos from possibly every era filled the room and just screamed with possibilities to create wondrous sounds.

What really caught Harry's attention though, was the ebony black grand piano sitting near the center of the room. It glistened in the moonlight with a seductive gleam that beckoned Harry forward. Harry hadn't made it public knowledge, he had in fact told no one, but he had one good memory from staying with the Dursley's. When Dudley was around five Petunia had become obsessed with having her son learn to play the piano. Fortunately for Harry the fat boy had no interest in the piano so when Petunia wasn't looking Dudley would drag Harry out of his cupboard and have him play the piano while he went out and played. As a result Harry had become quite good, though he didn't think so himself.

Harry walked up to the piano and sat down on the bench. He gently lifted the cover on the front of the piano to reveal glistening ivory keys. Harry reverently ran his hands over the keys without making any noise. He hadn't expected to find a piano at Hogwarts, let alone have the opportunity to play one.

With a happy smile Harry pressed down on the keys with both hands in a certain pattern. A resonating note rang up from the depths of piano and echoed throughout the room. The note resonated within Harry and he suddenly felt possessed. He struck down on the keys again and again and again. Music flooded the room as Harry's fingers rained down on the keys of the piano. It was a song with no name and no pattern but Harry felt as if he had heard it a thousand times.

The song reached inside Harry and pulled on all of his memories and emotions and used them as fuel. Everything he was, burned into the song with no name. Tears streaked down Harry's face though he wasn't actively crying. Sweat soon joined the tears as Harry played well into the night. He didn't stop once as he played; he couldn't. Something about playing made it impossible for him to stop. Much like a storm. Once it broke it raged and it didn't stop until it ran out of fuel.

Suddenly the song that so deeply spoke to Harry came to a close. Harry sat there panting and feeling as if he had run around the entire lake a dozen times. Tear tracks ran down his cheeks and sweat drenched his clothing. He was completely spent and had no energy left. He could barely lift his hand to close the lid over the piano keys. Deciding to take a few moments to rest Harry folded his arms on top of the piano and laid his head down. Almost immediately his eyes closed and he was fast asleep.

It wasn't until late in the afternoon the next day that Harry finally woke up feeling more rested than he had been in days. He didn't wake up because he was rested though. Harry woke up because there was something pecking at the back of his head. He tried to wave it off but it was persistent. Eventually he moaned and picked up his head and opened his eyes to see who was bothering him. Harry had to blink a few times before his eyes came into focus. He smiled slightly when he saw Hedwig perched on top of the piano staring at him.

"Hey girl," Harry said as he stroked her feathers. He received an annoyed hoot in response and he felt slightly guilty. Harry usually spent an hour or so every afternoon with Hedwig but he had been so distracted recently with his own problems that he hadn't been to see her in several days. "Sorry girl. I didn't mean to ignore you." She hooted at him in both concern and question as she nipped affectionately at his fingers.

Harry smiled slightly as he started to explain why he hadn't visited her in a few days. She was the only one that Harry didn't feel judged by. He knew that Severus and Draco would judge him because of what happened but Harry just didn't feel comfortable talking to them about it and they were already walking on eggshells around him. With Hedwig, his first friend, Harry was comfortable. He didn't feel pressured to talk or to act like he was ok. With Hedwig he could just talk and she would listen without judgment or interruption. When he finished Hedwig hooted at him, a hoot filled with both sorrow and intelligence.

"You are far too intelligent for a normal owl," Harry said with a small chuckle.

In spite of the fact that she hadn't used any actual words he understood her perfectly. After months of talking to her you'd think he would. She was saying she was sorry that he had to go through such an ordeal and that Harry was acting foolishly for feeling dirty. Death was a part of life and even though killing someone was a horrible thing to do the death of someone like Lucius Malfoy should not ruin Harry's life.

"Come on wise owl," Harry said as he stood up from the piano bench. "Let's go get something to eat."

Hedwig flew over to Harry's shoulder and hitched a ride as he left the music room. Harry made his way down the winding staircase that led to the many floors of Harry's tower. When he reached the main floor, Harry went towards the informal dining room he had taken to using whenever he ate down there. Unfortunately, he only got half way there.

"Harry!" A frightened and relieved voice said. Harry turned to see Draco rushing towards him. "Where've you been?" He asked as he wrapped Harry in a bone-crushing hug

"Air!" Harry wheezed as Draco squeezed him. Draco released Harry and held him at arm's length. "What time is it?"

"It's almost four in the afternoon," Draco answered as he ran an eye over Harry to check for any injuries. "Where were you?" He asked again.

"I was upstairs." Harry answered as he directed Draco towards the dinner table. "I couldn't get back to sleep last night so I started wandering and I ended up falling asleep in one of the rooms I was poking around in. Where's Severus?" Harry wasn't sure whether he wanted people to know he could play piano yet so he decided to keep quiet for now.

"Searching the castle for you," Draco said as Harry ordered food from Nif.

_You're very good at the piano,_ Orpheus hissed as he slithered into the room and up Harry's chair. Harry promptly blushed bright red but thankfully Draco didn't seem to notice.

"Why is he out looking for me?" Harry asked as he attempted to control his embarrassment. He took a piece of his food that had just arrived and gave it to Hedwig, who hooted happily.

"Because we couldn't find you all day," Draco said as he picked at some bread. "And because he wanted to talk to you about tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?" Harry asked in confusion.

"The first," Draco said thinking that would be explanation enough. When he received a confused look from Harry, he elaborated. "Dumbledore's trial. Severus wanted to see if you were still up to testifying. He would have talked to you earlier but he wanted to give you space."

"Oh," Harry said in realization. He had completely forgotten about the trial over the past few months and the last several days only served to drive it farther from his mind. Harry wasn't sure anymore if he wanted to deal with Dumbledore's trial. A gentle but firm hoot interrupted Harry's thoughts of possibly not going to the trial anymore. It was a firm reminder that the death of one does not mean the death of all.

"Smart ass," Harry remarked with a smirk. He regretted it almost immediately as Hedwig started nipping painfully at his ear. "Ow! Ow! It was a compliment!" He said as he tried to fend off the angry owl. He quickly picked up a piece of meat and offered it as an apology. Hedwig glared at Harry for a moment before biting his nose and taking off with his proffered treat. "Ruddy sensitive bird." He mumbled when she was out of earshot. "And just what are you laughing at?"

"Nothing," Draco said as he tried to restrain his mirth.

"Yeah right," Harry said sarcastically as he rubbed his nose. "Nif!"

"Yes master Harry?" The little elf said when he appeared out of nowhere next to Harry's chair.

"Please find Severus and tell him where I am and…" Harry leaned in close to whisper in the elf's ear.

"Right away master Harry." Nif said with a nod and popped away.

"Keeping secrets are we?" Draco asked with a curious look at Harry.

"No," Harry said focusing on his food and trying desperately to keep his face from blushing again.

"Then do you want to tell me what Orpheus said that made you look like an adorable cherry?" Draco asked with a smug look on his face.

"No," Harry said again though his face had once again turned bright red. "Not yet anyways."

"Oh now we're being mysterious are we?" Draco teased with a smile.

"Not if you keep teasing me like this." Harry said as he focused on his food and refused to look at Draco. Something had caught his attention in both Draco's words and emotions and he didn't know what to make of it.

"If I keep teasing you, you might just morph into a cherry since you're blushing so much." Draco's remark was rewarded when Harry's blush deepened to make him look like a red poinsettia. Harry just ignored him and ate his dinner and waited for Severus to arrive.

–Scene Break–

Harry stood in his room looking out the window overlooking Hogwarts' grounds. He was dressed in his best robes and his hair was as tame as he could get it. He considered slicking it back but vetoed that idea when he saw a mental image of himself looking like that and didn't like it. His robes were a deep purple with silver trimmings. He had white shirt on with a black tie underneath his robes. Harry had chosen to display his necklace, a silver chain with a pendant in the likeness of Fawkes with five precious stones in it: A ruby, an emerald, a sapphire, a canary diamond, and a perfect clear diamond. It rested on top of Harry's clothing and sparkled in the light. Orpheus and Kane were both hidden away in Harry's skin. They were just as eager to see how the trial would come out as he was.

"Are you ready?" Severus' voice asked from behind him. Harry turned around to see Severus standing in the doorway dressed in black robes as usual. Harry could see that they weren't his normal robes though. They were clean and didn't smell of potions ingredients.

"Yeah," Harry said walking towards the door. The two of them left Harry's room. They made their way to the large fireplace on the main floor where Draco was waiting.

"Hey," Draco greeted. There was a slight hitch to Draco's voice that Harry wasn't sure anyone caught but him since his hearing was sharper than most. There was also something swirling in Draco's emotions that Harry couldn't quite identify. "We ready to go?"

Harry nodded as Severus went over to the fireplace. He threw in some floo powder and disappeared in a burst of green flames. They had agreed that Harry would go between Severus and Draco for safety reasons. For the past month, the papers had been having a field day with Dumbledore's trial. It had been leaked that Harry had been the one to press charges of child endangerment. Ever since then the press had been all over him. There was on reporter in particular that was trying to destroy his image, not that Harry cared really, but they were rather consistent in saying that he was abusing power he wasn't ready to have. They were also trying to make it seem like Harry was being ungratefully and was to seize power from someone who had tutored, mentored, and protected him.

After waiting a few moments to make sure Severus was out of the fireplace, Harry nodded to Draco before vanishing into the floo network with the hopes that people would be too busy getting to the trial to notice him. Unfortunately, his hopes were misplaced. Almost immediately upon stepping out of the fireplace at the Ministry Harry was bombarded by people and if it wasn't for the death glares Severus was giving the crowd Harry was positive that people would be tearing at his clothes.

Once Draco came through the fireplace, the trio made their way towards the security desk where they checked their wands. Harry had just handed over his wand when the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He had just finished turning around when he saw the killing curse flying towards him. Harry was so off guard that he froze. Time seemed to slow down as Harry stared at the deadly curse. He was just about to react when something else caught his attention.

"No," Harry said in protest as Fawkes appeared out of nowhere and intercepted the curse. The immortal bird exploded in flames and fell to the floor in a pile of ashes. "Fawkes!"

Alarms started blaring and Aurors suddenly flooded the Atrium and started restraining the crowd. Severus, who had turned mere seconds after Harry, managed to stun the witch, most likely a fanatic supporter of Dumbledore's, who had fired the curse. Harry barely registered any of this as he knelt down on one knee in front of the pile of ashes. He knew that a phoenix's immortality was absolute but he had no idea how they would react to a spell specifically designed to end life.

"Harry," Draco said sadly, as he knelt down beside Harry and put an arm around his shoulders.

Harry put up a hand to forestall any more words. He saw something and his hopes began to rise. Slowly and very gently, Harry dipped a finger into the pile of ash and brushed some of it aside. He smiled in relief when a beak poked out of the ashes and chirped at him. Harry held out his palm and a featherless, baby Fawkes hopped into his palm.

"We need to take the ashes," Harry said as he brought Fawkes closer to his chest. The tiny naked bird had started shivering slightly. Harry didn't know much about phoenixes but he knew that they usually made nests out of their ashes so they could remain warm until their feathers re-grew.

"Do you still want to go through with this?" Severus asked as he conjured a small bowl and transferred the ashes from the ground.

"No reason not to," Harry reasoned. "We're already here and the sooner we deal with the trial the sooner this madness will end."

In spite of the fact that Severus was more concerned with Harry's safety than the trial he couldn't argue with Harry's logic. As soon as Harry placed Fawkes into the bowl of ashes the three of them left the Atrium and went down to the courtrooms where they sat down in the front row. Harry sat between Severus and Draco and watched amusedly as Fawkes burrowed and played around in his ashes. He turned his attention from the amusing bird to the doors on the other side of the room when they banged open.

–Scene Break–

For the past seven and a half months Dumbledore sat in his prison of ice unable to move or feel. He was even incapable of accessing his magic to try to free himself. After a few days, Dumbledore discovered that his body had no need for air or food even though he was very much alive and could think. If he had been in any other position Dumbledore would've appreciated the ingenuity and magical control such a prison would require but as it was, he simply wrote it off as irrelevant.

What intrigued Dumbledore the most though, was that he didn't have a single visitor during the seven months he had been trapped. Even the guards didn't poke their heads in to check in on him. From time to time, he would hear mild scuffles outside his door but nothing more. He didn't even have a conference with a law wizard.

The longer Dumbledore spent frozen the less capable he was of being able to decipher the flow of time. He became increasingly disoriented and was therefore extremely surprised when five Aurors came into his cell. One of them he recognized as Amelia Bones but he didn't hold any hopes of her being on his side; he couldn't. The ice prison prevented any form of emotions. Dumbledore watched as Amelia raised her wand and fire erupted from the tip. The fire engulfed the top of Dumbledore's icy prison and slowly worked its way down.

As the fire melted more and more of the ice Dumbledore slowly regained his ability to feel. First came the relief at being free. Then his anger at being captured came back full force but it quickly turned to shock as two of the Auror took his wand and slapped magical cuffs on his wrists that bound his magic as well as wrists.

"What is the meaning of this?" Dumbledore demanded weakly.

"Today is the date of your trial," Amelia informed him. "We are taking you to the court room."

"Madame Bones this is ridiculous," Dumbledore said as two of the Aurors gripped him by the arms to keep him upright as the rest of the ice melted away. "I haven't done anything wrong."

"Firing an unsanctioned killing curse at a twelve year old is enough to land you in Azkaban for life," Amelia said as they made their way out of the corridors beneath the Ministry where they held prisoners that awaited their trials. "You're lucky you're getting a trial at all."

Dumbledore was about to protest but the doors they had stopped in front of opened and he was thrust forward before being forced into a chair he was all too familiar with from the first war. The Aurors removed his cuffs just as the magical chains on the chair sprung to life and pinned him to the chair. Amelia walked up the steps that lead to the stand and took the seat that was reserved for person presiding over the trial, what would be considered a judge in a muggle court. She picked up the handle less gavel and banged it down a few times to gain everyone's attention. The witches and wizards wearing plum-colored and black robes who had been chatting idly all settled down and turned their attention towards Amelia, as did the spectators who had gathered to watch the trial.

"I hereby call the trial of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore on July first 1993 to order." Amelia called in a loud voice that echoed throughout the room. Harry idly noted that she almost sounded bored. He honestly couldn't blame her really. This trial was just a formality to determine whether or not Dumbledore received the Kiss. "Albus Dumbledore, you are charged with negligence towards the safety measures surrounding Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, henceforth referred to as Hogwarts, reckless child endangerment, maliciously and deliberately weakening the wards and safety measures of Hogwarts, the illegal use of an unsanctioned Unforgivable, the killing curse, against a twelve year old student, and illegally violating the sanctity of the minds of several students and faculty members at Hogwarts through the use of Legilimency; how do you plead?"

"This is absolutely absurd!" Dumbledore tried to yell but the months of inactivity made him weak and he could barely speak loud enough to be heard.

"The Wizengamot will read that as you pleading not guilty," Amelia noted as she rifled through some of the papers before her. The scribe next to her was scribbling away as he did what he could to keep up with the proceedings. Harry absently stroked Fawkes' beak as he watched. He felt Orpheus and Kane moving along his skin until they barely poked out from his collar so they could watch as well. "On December 20th, 1992 you, Albus Dumbledore, were seen by no less a dozen witches and wizards casting the killing curse on one Harry James Potter. For what reason could you have for casting an Unforgivable at a child no older than twelve years old?"

"He is a danger to everyone around him." Dumbledore declared hotly. It was obvious that he knew he couldn't talk or charm his way out of that one so he was trying to justify his actions.

"How so?" Amelia asked as she stared down at Dumbledore sternly. "So far as this council and the public are aware he has done nothing to pose a danger to anyone."

"He attacked a student merely so he could play the hero," Dumbledore lied through his teeth. Orpheus hissed quietly in anger and Fawkes chirped unhappily at the blatant lie.

"It was proven," Amelia sighed in annoyance. It was clearly obvious that she wanted this farce to be over with. "That a student under the possession of the Dark Lord He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was the one responsible for that and that student was not Harry Potter." Amelia shifted some more papers before continuing. "In the regards you deliberately weakening the protective wards around Hogwarts castle what do you have to say for yourself?"

"I would never do such a thing and you have absolutely no proof that I did," Dumbledore said weakly.

Amelia uncovered something on the podium before her. It was a thin silver basin, which was obviously enhanced magically. Harry could just barely make out runes along the edges. Amelia pulled out her wand and swirled it around inside the basin for a moment before pulling it out and flicking it over everyone's head. An image immediately began playing for the crowd. Dumbledore was kneeling in a barren and empty tower. Before him was a runic circle with several herbs burning along the edges. After a few moments of chanting, the tower seemed to shake. Red and gold light filled the circle. There was an ear-shattering screech before the light condensed into a strange silver object, one of many that Harry recognized from w hat used to be Dumbledore's office.

"Care to explain that?" Amelia asked as she leaned forward on her podium to stare down at a rather surprised Dumbledore, who quickly masked his expression behind a mask of indifference.

"I was experimenting, as I've often done in the past. That device was the result of that particular experiment." Dumbledore said with such a completely straight and honest looking face that Harry was tempted to believe him.

"At this time the Wizengamot calls upon Harry James Potter to testify." Amelia said looking up from Dumbledore and scanning the crowd for Harry. Harry handed Fawkes over to Draco and left the stands. He walked towards Dumbledore, who was in the center of the room, but he remained a good distance from the aged wizard, for which was grateful. The man was sending death glares that could wither the pines in the Forbidden Forest. "Please state your full name for the record."

"Harry James Potter, Lord of Hogwarts, Lord Gryffindor, Prince Ravenclaw, Heir of Slytherin, and Prince Hufflepuff." Harry said clearly. Almost the entire congregation of witches and wizards, aside from those who already knew about his lineage, gasped in shock and disbelief and started talking rather loudly.

"Order," Amelia called as she banged her gavel down sharply to regain everyone's attention. "Now," She said when everyone had quieted down again. "As you have already stated, Mister Potter, you are Lord of Hogwarts. As the Lord of Hogwarts the wards of the castle deferrer to you correct?"

"Yes," Harry answered easily.

"Could you shed some light on the condition of the wards?" Amelia inquired. Both her and Harry ignored the mumbles that went through the crowd when they learned that an almost thirteen year old was in control of the wards at Hogwarts.

"At present they are strong, healthy, and whole." Harry said and Dumbledore practically burst with triumph. Harry couldn't hold back the small smirk that adorned his face as he continued speaking. "However that has not always been the case." Dumbledore's triumphant look turned into one of anger and betrayal.

"Please explain," An elderly wizard dressed in black said.

"When I first came to Hogwarts I was unaware that I owned it." Harry said as he shifted his weight. "It wasn't until Christmas break when I found out that I had control over a set of backup wards Salazar Slytherin had erected in case something ever happened to the main wards. It was through these wards that I discovered the severe damage done to the main wards and it was because of this damage that the main wards did not immediately transfer into my care when I arrived at the castle."

"How extensive was the damage?" Amelia asked as she wrote a few things down.

"It was to the point where if someone were to attack the castle and the backup wards were nonexistent then it would easily fall." Harry detailed. "There were tears and holes in the wards that were decades old. Such damage would explain how a possessed teacher and a highly dangerous, highly Dark artifact entered the school while Dumbledore was in charge."

"Who is this teacher that you claim was possessed?" A portly man that Harry recognized as Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, said as he leaned down from his seat.

"Professor Quirinus Quirrell," Harry answered the politician. "He had the Dark Lord protruding from the back of his skull."

"And where is Professor Quirrell now?" Fudge asked.

"He was reduced to dust when Voldemort left his body," Harry lied easily. There was no way Harry was about to inform the entire Wizarding World that he had a Basilisk familiar. The entire congregation flinched at Voldemort's name with the exception of Harry and Dumbledore.

"Getting back on topic," Amelia said before they could go any further into that line of questioning. They weren't there to discuss the possession of a teacher. "As you stated on December 20th to myself and the others that were present, you caught the Headmaster while he was attempting to do more damage to the wards correct? Do you know how he was doing this?"

"Yes," Harry answered with a nod. "He was in an abandoned tower and was preparing to use an old ritual that was designed to capture and contain wild magic. He managed to alter the ritual in order to tear strips out of the castle wards."

"Is that the same ritual we saw him performing in the memory just now?" Amelia asked for confirmation.

"It appeared to be," Harry answered with a nod.

"And what do you have to say about this Albus?"

"I say that the testimony of a twelve year old should not be considered in a court of law," Dumbledore said. It was an obvious attempt to discredit Harry and while some heads nodded in agreement, others disregarded the comment.

"He is the head of a very prestigious wizarding family and Lord of Hogwarts," Amelia reprimanded sternly. "Twelve years old or not his testimony will be heard and since it is he who appears to have suffered the most due to your negligence and manipulations his testimony shall be given credibility." She rummaged through some more papers in front of her as the Wizengamot and spectators discussed her last comment. "Now, since it has been brought up, we shall move on from the topic of Hogwarts' safety and onto a subject that is, frankly, more disturbing. Albus Dumbledore, on Halloween night in 1981, the night of the Dark Lord you-know-who's defeat, you placed Mister Potter here into the care of the muggles Vernon and Petunia Dursley, the late Lilly Potter's only known relatives correct? Why?" Harry stiffened slightly at the mention of the muggles but he didn't let it show on his face.

"For his protection," Dumbledore explained easily, though Harry detected a slight hint of confusion to the man's voice. "The protection his mother's sacrifice provided was essential to his survival so recently after Voldemort's downfall. That sacrifice could only be fueled contact with someone related to his mother."

"Mmmm hmmm," Amelia hummed eloquently and with a condescending nod. "Do you know what these are?" She held up a thick book and several files that were practically overflowing with parchment. Before Dumbledore had a chance to respond, she continued. "Prewett, Black, Weasley, Malfoy, Peverell, Lestrange, Greengrass, Crabbe, Brown, Nott, Longbottom, Prince, Blishwick, Potter." She listed off the names labeled on some of the files. "And this," She held up the book. "The Ancient Lines, a book pertaining to the genealogy and family trees of several notable pureblood lines. Then, there is one particular file that is most intriguing, Lilly Potter nee Evans." Dumbledore looked entirely too pale and only continued to get paler as Amelia continued speaking. "Mister Potter, I realize this must be a sensitive topic for you but if you would be willing, please describe your life while living with these muggles."

"Unpleasant at best," Harry said stiffly as he attempted to stifle his anger that had awoken at the mention of the muggles. "There would be times when I would be forced to go days without food and water. I was treated worse than a house elf and received semi regular beatings, most of the time for no reason at all and sometimes for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time." Several, if not all, of the witches and wizards gathered, with the possible exception of Severus and Draco, gasped in shock and outrage and immediately started talking. Amelia, though she expected something along those lines, was just as outraged as everyone else was.

"Order," She said after a few minutes to regain her composure. She banged her gavel several times before people started calming down. "Albus Dumbledore I'll ask you again, why did you place Harry Potter with those muggles despite the council of both Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall?"

"Because of the blood–" Dumbledore was cut off as Amelia threw down Lilly's file onto the courtroom floor, spilling its contents.

"You knew full well, before Mister Potter was even born, that Lilly Potter had no blood in common with her adoptive sister Petunia Dursley." Amelia snapped. "You knew that she was very nearly a pureblood witch who had been adopted by the Evans family mere days after she was born. You knew those muggles were some of the worst of their kind and yet you placed a one year old child, who held great promise in our world for the defeat of the darkest wizard of our time, into their abusive hands even though they wanted nothing to do with him and offered no protection. Why?" Dumbledore sat there with his mouth flapping up and down like a drowning fish. He was clearly at a loss for words and could think of nothing that would help get him out of this. Seeing that she wasn't going to get an answer out of the aged man Amelia moved on. "Onto the matter of you illegally and unethically prying into the minds of students and teachers. Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, upon investigating the affects in the office you were relieved of, she discovered several documentations and memories of you delving into the defenseless minds of the students and faculty at Hogwarts. Do you wish to try and provide a defense against this accusation or should we just go straight into voting?" Dumbledore just sat there in shock and didn't respond. "Very well. Mister Potter you may return to your seat."

Harry turned from the Wizengamot and walked back towards the stand and resumed his seat where he took Fawkes back from Draco. The three of them sat there quietly as the Wizengamot debated. The crowd around them gossiped about what they had learned during the trial. Harry wouldn't be surprised if the papers printed a front-page article tomorrow about how Dumbledore had fooled them all and wasn't as glorious and brilliant as they all thought. The Wizengamot debated for such a long time that Harry ended up dozing off and Draco had to nudge him awake when Amelia called for order.

"Those in favor of clearing the accused of all charges," Amelia said to the Wizengamot. A few tentative hands raised into the air, those who were loyal to a fault to Dumbledore. "Those in favor of the accused receiving the Kiss," More hands than the last round went into the air but it still wasn't a majority. "Those in favor of life in prison," Almost seventy percent of the Wizengamot raised their hands into the air. "The accused is hereby sentenced to life in a maximum security cell in Azkaban Prison."

When Amelia banged her gavel, the doors Dumbledore had come through at the beginning of the trial opened up to reveal two hooded figures. The room almost immediately went painfully cold as they glided forward towards their prey. Harry could see his breath as he watched the creatures take hold of Dumbledore's arms and lifted him from the chair before leading him from the room. As the creatures left the room, Harry heard a distance scream. Unsure if he was hearing things or not, Harry covertly surveyed the crowd around him in an attempt to see if someone had actually screamed. When he saw nothing but the grim faces of the spectators and Wizengamot Harry grew slightly concerned. As he stood with Draco and Severus to leave the Ministry Harry quietly vowed to investigate what those creatures were.


	16. Chapter 16: Shadows in the Dark

**Disclaimer: **the characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me

**A/N:** OKAY! FINALLY! Here is the next chapter! I am terribly sorry that it took so damn long to finish but as we're all writers I hope everyone understands the problems that arise when trying to write something that doesn't always want to be written. I know that this isn't a particularly long chapter but it is still something. I hope you guys enjoy the update and don't hate me too much for taking so long.

Now before you all run off into the chapter I want to let you all know, to those that don't already, I have a few other fics up. One is call Change and the other Revenge. Revenge is the sequel to Change and both are offspring's of The Power to Change, which I removed as I could not get past my writers block with that fic. To those who haven't read it already I would greatly appreciate it if I could get your guys' thoughts and opinions on the story.

Anyways. Enjoy the update!

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><p>CHAPTER THREE: SHADOWS IN THE DARK<p>

Harry tossed and turned in his bed trying to get comfortable but couldn't. The trial that afternoon, which had lasted much longer than Harry had originally thought, had stirred up many emotions for him. Particularly about living with the Dursley's. Harry had been as brief and non-descriptive as possible when telling the court about his life before Hogwarts but it was like whacking a hornet's nest with a small stick. Fawkes' occasional chirps as he played around in his ashes didn't help Harry get to sleep either.

Sighing in resignation Harry sat up in bed, careful not to disturb Kane and Orpheus, and rubbed his hands over his face. He sat there with his arms crossed over his knees staring out the window for a long time just thinking. Ever since he killed Lucius, Harry had been doing his best not to just suppress his memories and feelings of his past but to confront it as well. He had even gotten to the point where he started talking with Draco and Severus about it. Unfortunately, there was only so much talking Harry could do before it just became irrelevant.

"Maybe this will help us both sleep," Harry said as he quietly got out of bed.

He picked up the naked bird and went over to the piano he had hidden in his room. Harry was impressed with Nif. Harry had asked the little elf to move the piano the day after he discovered it and also asked him to put some concealment charms on it so no one could see it but him. Even Severus and Draco couldn't see it. This was something that he needed to remain his. Harry's life was such an open book to everyone that he needed something for himself.

Harry gently placed Fawkes on top of the piano as he sat down. He lifted the lid on the keys and put his fingers on the keys. For a moment, he just sat there thinking of what to play. He didn't have any sheet music but that didn't matter since he couldn't remember how to read it. After a few moments, Harry started playing a gentle tune. It was slow and calm; nothing compared to the last song he played that had so utterly drained him. The music flowed softly from the piano and caressed Harry's ears.

When he had been playing for a few minutes, Fawkes started trilling along in a tiny voice. The longer Harry played the more familiar the song started to feel. Like a distant memory that Harry couldn't recall. In his mind, Fawkes' voice was replaced with a woman's. It was warm, soft, and caring. It filled Harry with a comfort he had never known and he quickly lost himself to the gentle melody. He started swaying back and forth, as his fingers travelled over the keys. His eyes closed and his mind became lost in a world of his own imagination.

Suddenly Harry felt arms wrap around him and he jerked out of his trance. He stopped playing and turned around, only to find a dark, empty room. There was no one there. The instant that Harry had turned around the sensation of being held had vanished. Entirely confused and a little paranoid Harry focused on his other senses. All he heard was the soft breathing of his familiars and only the smell of the embers in the fireplace reached his nose.

With narrowed eyes, Harry closed the lid on the piano keys and stood up. Somewhere along the line, Fawkes had drifted off to sleep on top of the piano so Harry gently maneuvered the baby phoenix into his hands before placing him back into his nest of ashes. Feeling tired enough to go to sleep, though he was still paranoid, Harry climbed into bed and finally drifted off.

–Scene Break–

Dumbledore stumbled as he was pushed through the halls of Azkaban. He could barely pay attention to where he was going as the dementors ravaged his mind of happy thoughts. When he first arrived on the island all Dumbledore could hear were the screams of the inmates mixed with the horrors of his own mind. However as he walked through the halls the screams of the more coherent prisoners quickly turned into peals of high pitched laughter as they realized who the new prisoner was. Dumbledore was personally responsible for several of the inmates being in Azkaban and now he was one of them, so it only made sense that they would laugh at him.

"How far the great wizard of the Light has fallen!" One of them laughed through their bars as he passed.

"What happened Great One?" Another sneered in a mock sweet tone.

"Stopped believing your lies did they?" Someone asked with a vicious smirk.

The farther and farther Dumbledore was taken into the structure the fewer people mocked him until he came to innermost cellblock of the prison. Here no one mocked him. Each cell was quiet aside from the painful moans that were incited from the dementors that almost never left the prisoners alone. As he walked towards the end of the cellblock, the maddened faces of the convicts crawled towards the bars of their cages. Dumbledore recognized a few of them. Bellatrix Lestrange stared at him with wide and hysterical eyes before she started cackling madly.

On the end, just before the only empty cell on in the block, was a man he barely recognized. His hair was black and mangled and his once bright grey eyes were now hallow and haunted. But there was a look in those haunted eyes, a look that disturbed Dumbledore greatly. It was hatred and betrayal.

Before he could contemplate that any further, Dumbledore was tossed into his cell and the door shut with a clang. He could barely get to his knees before the dementors began to feed in earnest and he was left in the darkness reliving his worst memories.

–Scene Break–

"You wished to see me Headmistress?" Harry said as he walked into McGonagall's office.

"Yes, how've you been doing?" Minerva asked as she conjured some tea and biscuits and offered some to Harry.

"I've been doing ok," Harry answered truthfully before taking a small bite out of a biscuit. It had been a little over a month since Dumbledore's trial. Severus and Draco had thrown a quiet birthday party for Harry a few days ago and aside from that their summer had been surprisingly quiet… aside from the catastrophic beginning of course.

"I'm glad to hear that," Minerva said with a small smile. She had been concerned for the young Slytherin ever since Severus had told her what happened at the start of summer. "Now I asked you here to take care of a little business. As owner of Hogwarts' it is policy that you be notified about staff changes for the upcoming school year," McGonagall pulled some parchment out from one of her desk drawers and passed them over to Harry. "The first of which will be Remus Lupin for Defense Against the Dark Arts. He is an old friend and former student of mine. However given his condition your direct approval is required."

"What condition?" Harry asked as he looked over the paper, a form for employment at Hogwarts.

"He is a werewolf," Minerva said watching Harry's reaction closely.

"Ah," Harry said in understanding. He didn't know much about the many magical creatures of the wizarding world but werewolves, like vampires, were very popular worldwide so he knew a little, though he doubted that the muggle fairy tales of the creatures came even remotely close to the real thing.

"Seeing as how he attended this school as a student while a werewolf," Minerva continued when Harry didn't seem to offer her anything else. _A true Slytherin, never letting emotions and thoughts show on their face,_ She chuckled internally. "Most of the staff knows and is prepared to help deal with it. Also in the past few years, Severus has managed to come up with an experimental potion that might help curb the bloodlust that consumes them on nights of the full moon."

"Reasonable," Harry said with a nod. "I take it that should the potion prove unsuccessful then he will have a safe place to transform each month so as to not pose a threat to the students. Not that I doubt Severus' skills of course." He added with a slight smirk at the thought of Severus scoffing at any doubts towards his skills at potions.

"Yes," Minerva added with a grin of her own. "The Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade was commissioned for just that purpose when Remus was a student here."

"Very well then, I see no reason why he can't teach here. Do you need me to sign to show my approval or something?" Harry said looking up from the form and placing it on the desk.

"There actually is a reason," Minerva said as she indicated a line at the bottom of the form that read, "Owner's signature of approval if applicable."

"What's that?" Harry said as he picked up a proffered quill from Minerva's desk.

"The Ministry," She said as Harry signed his name. "And the public as well, have a very scant view on werewolves. Given their tendency towards violence, this is somewhat understandable. However after the war with you-know-who their views became even more narrowed and they don't really approve of werewolves holding any sort of job, though it isn't illegal… yet."

"I see," Harry said as he sat back in thought. "Well, the laws and bylaws of Hogwarts clearly state that the Headmaster or mistress or owner may hire anyone they wish so long as they do not pose a threat to the students. Now he does pose a threat but it is greatly minimized by the protective measures that will be put into place. I assume that Remus is an overall good natured person?" At Minerva's nod he continued. "Then it shouldn't be a problem, especially if no one knows about his condition. I would imagine that a friendly letter to the Ministry to inform them that we're hiring a werewolf would be appropriate but I'm not sure to whom we should send it that wouldn't immediately try and out the man."

"I might have a few connections that could prove useful in that instance," Minerva said with some mild disbelief to her voice. She had never expected to be reasonably discussing faculty decisions with a thirteen-year-old student.

"Good," Harry said turning his attention to the other sheet of paper Minerva had handed him. "Because as much as the Ministry is powerless here I don't want people to see us as circumventing the law." Harry read the name on the next form. "Is Amy Triton an old student of yours as well?"

"Actually she is an associate of yours." Minerva said causing Harry arch his eyebrow at her in a very Snape like manner which in turn caused Minerva to bite back a chuckle.

"I've been in the wizarding world for three years and am only thirteen," Harry said lowering the form to look directly at Minerva. "I don't have any associates."

"Your skepticism is understandable." Minerva said with a nod. "However she requested that I not divulge her real identity until she tells you herself."

"Uh huh," Harry said as he gave her a curious stare. "So is anything on this form legitimate?"

"Not particularly," Minerva answered. "It's merely something for the records and she won't actually be receiving any payments."

"Does she at least have teaching experience?" Harry asked as he put the form down on the desk and dipped the quill in ink again.

"Yes," Minerva answered as she put the papers back into her desk after Harry signed his name.

"I still say that I have no associates," Harry said as he stood up.

"There is one more thing that needs to be discussed Harry," Minerva said preventing Harry from moving away from the desk. Her tone was grave and serious which caused Harry to become both curious and concerned. Before she could say anything more though, Severus stormed into the room with his cloak flapping behind him angrily.

"How?" He breathed quietly causing Harry to look at him in concern. Severus only ever got that quiet when he was truly furious. He snapped when frustrated or upset and snarled to intimidate but he grew quieter the angrier he became.

"I don't know Severus they're still investigating the matter. It hasn't even hit the papers yet." Minerva said neutrally so as to not further anger the dangerous wizard. "The only reason I was informed so quickly is because I was at the Ministry when they found out."

"Found out what?" Harry asked drawing their attention back to him.

"Earlier this morning, around three to be precise, a prisoner named Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban," Minerva informed him and his eyebrows rose into his hairline. After Dumbledore's trial, Harry did a lot of research into Azkaban Prison in an attempt to ascertain what the creatures he saw at the Ministry were. No one ever escaped that prison.

"Let me guess," Harry said in frustration, annoyance, and exhaustion as he sat back down. "He's a Death Eater and wants revenge on me for stopping Voldemort."

"That is the assumption yes," Minerva said with a sad nod. "Given that he was heard mumbling in his sleep about Hogwarts it is believed that he will be coming here."

"Great," Harry mumbled unenthusiastically as he rubbed his forehead.

"In an attempt to recapture Black the Ministry would like to post dementors along the borders of Hogwarts' grounds." Minerva said and it was clear that she needed and suggested his approval. At the mention of the Azkaban guards Harry pulled a very cat like gesture and nearly hissed in distaste. When he had discovered just what type of creatures he had seen taking Dumbledore away Harry had to fight not to throw up, especially since he had a disturbing feeling about who he had heard screaming at the Ministry.

"Harry?" Severus said in concern when Harry remained silent for several minutes. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Harry said with a sigh as he stood up. "As long as the dementors remain off the grounds and don't interfere with the day to day life of the school then the Ministry has my approval." He made his way out of the office with a parting, "Better to not tempt fate."

Harry made his way down the winding staircase outside the Headmistress' office and made for the courtyard on the first floor. He sat down on one of the benches and put his head in his hands and his elbows on his knees. He didn't start crying. He was just frustrated.

"Harry," Severus asked. Harry wasn't surprised that Severus had found him so quickly. The last time he had left his sight from the Headmistress' office he had vanished completely and ended up committing murder as a result. Harry was still at a loss as to how he had managed to disappear like that. "What's wrong?"

"Why is everyone always after me Severus?" Harry asked, letting his hands fall between his knees.

"I don't know," Severus said in half honesty as he sat down next to Harry. He knew that there were prophecies surrounding Harry but he didn't know why or what they were about, he was just as much in the dark on that as Harry was. With that aside, he didn't think Harry was ready to deal with such a concept. Besides, it would only raise more questions than it would answer. "But what I do know is that you are a strong young man and you have people around you who are willing to help protect you." Over two years ago, Severus never would've imagined himself saying such sappy words but he knew that Harry needed to hear them. He also couldn't believe how much he was being affected by this boy that Severus was quickly beginning to view as a son.

"I know," Harry said with a resigned sigh. "But is it really too much to ask for a little peace?"

"No, Harry, it isn't." Severus said as he forced himself to lie a, hopefully, comforting hand on Harry's shoulder. Severus was still very new at showing emotion so he wasn't sure if he was being any good at it. He was heartened when Harry leaned slightly into his touch.

"Did you know him?" Harry asked suddenly after a few minutes of silence.

"Black?" Severus asked stiffly. When Harry nodded, Severus took a deep breath to try to remain calm. The subject of Sirius Black was a big sore spot for him. "I knew him from school yes."

"Did you know him as a Death Eater?" Harry clarified. He could tell Severus didn't like talking about this Black person for some reason and he didn't want to end up pushing Severus into talking about something that was uncomfortable for him. Harry smiled slightly when he felt Severus stiffen in shock. The man had never told Harry that he was a Death Eater so Harry wasn't surprised by his reaction.

"What makes you think I was a Death Eater?" Severus asked, trying to sound offended but ended up sounding nervous.

"I saw the mark Severus," Harry said giving the man a reassuring look. "I asked Draco about it. I know it means you were a Death Eater."

"How long have you known?" Severus asked in disbelief.

"Since last summer." Harry answered and then chuckled at the expression on Severus' face. "You had your sleeves rolled up one day while you were brewing."

"Hmph," Severus was clearly flustered and that was highly unusual for the normally collected potions professor. Harry politely allowed the man to regain his faculties and waited for his answer. "In answer to your question no, I did not know him as a Death Eater. To be perfectly honest I thought that was the last thing Sirius Black would turn to."

"Why?"

"Because as far as I knew he was against anything Dark," Severus explained. "After generations of his family being in Slytherin and promoting the Dark Black was the first in his line to be in Gryffindor. From that point on, he continually defied his family in any way he could. Therefore, it was to no small surprise that I later found out he was a Death Eater. His name was never mentioned in any of the meetings I attended so I knew nothing of his status as a Death Eater." Severus paused and Harry could tell that he was nervous about something.

"What?" He asked when Severus remained silent.

"Harry you need to know," Severus cleared his throat before continuing. "He's the one who betrayed your parents."

"What'd you mean betrayed?" Harry asked with narrowed eyes.

"Your parents went into hiding because they were marked by the Dark Lord," Severus said gently. "They used the Fidelius Charm which hides their location from anyone unless they choose to reveal it. The charm requires a secret keeper who is the only person who can reveal where the secret is. Your parents chose Black."

Harry sat there as his brain tried to comprehend what Severus had just told him. His parents had chosen one of their best friends, someone they had trusted, and they paid for the trust with their lives. He couldn't understand that. He couldn't understand how someone could look their best friends in the eye while simultaneously putting a blade in their back. Not only their back but his as well.

"Do you mind," Harry said in a hallow voice. "If I go for a run?"

"Harry," Severus said growing concerned. He had never heard Harry sound so despondent before.

"I'll go as Shadow," Harry said referring to his animagus form. "And I won't leave the grounds and I'll stay out in the open where you can see me. Please," He added when Severus hesitated. "I need to clear my head."

"Very well but be sure to remain within the wards!" Severus practically had to holler the last part as the minute he agreed Harry had transformed and ran off.

–Scene Break–

Harry tore through the castle as fast as he could. When he reached the main doors he made for the lake, intent on making a circuit around it since it was within the wards and would give him enough space to run all he wanted.

The earth flew by beneath his feet. The wind tore through his fur. Water splashed his feet. Harry ran as hard and as fast as he could around the edge of the lake. As he ran his chaotic thoughts melted away. Nothing else mattered but the run. He could think of nothing else as he leaped over fallen trees and rocks and bound his way around the shifting water next to him.

Just as the sun began to disappear below the horizon Harry collapsed beneath his favorite tree next to the lake, well within view of the castle. He lay there in the grass panting and spent. It was a beautiful summer evening and Harry saw no reason why he shouldn't be allowed to simply lay in the grass, enjoying the last of the disappearing sun. Unfortunately his thoughts didn't agree.

As he lay there he started thinking about what Severus had told him. All his life, Harry just wanted someone to call a friend, at least one. Now he had three good friends and even a parental figure and all of them genuinely seemed to care about him and him alone. It was because of this that he simply could not fathom how someone could betray a person they called a friend, especially given what Severus had told him about Black. Naturally, Harry knew that people could put on masks to fool and deceive the world but you couldn't deceive the Sorting Hat, even with Occlumency. Harry had talked with Godric's painting at length about the hat one day, as he was rather curious about how the hat worked. The magic that the hat was imbued with was an amalgamation of Legilimency, animation spells, and preservation spells. Such spells had never before been combined and they had interacted strangely. Not only had they given the Sorting Hat the ability to sort a student into the houses but they had also given it sentience, meaning that the hat could actually think for itself despite the fact that it was forever bound to sort students. Something else that had happened unexpectedly because of the spells interactions was that the hat had been given minor, yet very powerful, divinatory capabilities. It was because of that ability that the hat sings a warning to the school during times of danger and it was a result of the hat's meddling that each student made it into the best possible house for them. It did not just randomly place students into a house. It evaluated the characteristics of that student and combined that with what it Sees about the future. As a result, you ended up with intelligent Hufflepuffs, loyal Ravenclaws, sneaky Gryffindors, and brave Slytherins.

Put simply, there was simply no way to fool the Sorting Hat and Harry could not reconcile that with the fact that a Dark hating, rebellious man who was supposedly a very good friend of his mother and father's had ended up betraying them so completely. It just did not make sense. He knew the hat always had a reason for putting the students in each house but if this Black person was actually a huge supporter of the Dark then why go through all the trouble of appearing to be a Light inclined wizard. Not that being Light or Dark made you good or evil but there was a correlation that showed Light wizards tended to be kinder and more caring people while Dark wizards tended to lean towards insanity and the darker side of life. With that in mind, he couldn't understand why the hat had decided to put a student with such a Dark future among those he was destined to betray.

_I guess this is all irrelevant for the moment,_ Harry thought to himself as he managed to stand on his shaky and weak limbs. _Things will play out as they will and answers will come with time. Whether or not this Black person really is a Death Eater and after my hide doesn't matter. What matters is the fact that he is loose and on his way here._

Harry slowly made his way towards the castle, never noticing the beady onyx eyes of the creature that took flight after him.

–Scene Break–

Harry stood atop the Astronomy Tower overlooking the grounds. Normally he loved the view up here but today he rather disliked it. Ever since the Dementors had arrived a week ago a constant storm had ravaged Hogwarts' grounds. Rain poured constantly over the grounds causing parts to flood, wind whipped at the trees causing them to groan and creak, lighting flashed across the skies and thunder boomed in response. The torrential down pour had gotten so bad that Harry was concerned that the dungeons would flood but Severus had assured him that he had several wards in place to prevent that, not to mention the Blood Wards that now guarded the school wouldn't allow such a thing to happen.

"There you are," A familiar voice sounded from behind Harry, drawing him out of his thoughts. He turned slightly to see Draco coming towards him. Harry couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the disgruntled look on the blonde's face. Draco held no love for the rain and his robes, which had remained dry for all of two seconds after coming out here, were soaked through and likely not helping to improve the boys attitude towards the rain. As for Harry, while he liked to take the occasional walk in the rain, was bone dry as he had the foresight to cast several weather proofing spells over his clothing. "What are you doing out here?"

"Watching," Harry said simply as he pointed his wand in the air and gave it a slight twist. Almost instantly a clear and invisible shield popped up and protected them from the pouring water.

"Watching what?" Draco asked with a scowl as he dried his clothing, he really did not like getting soaked like that.

"Everything," Harry said returning his attention back to the grounds, being sure to keep his wand in the air. "It may be dark and dreary but one can learn a great deal if they know how to look."

Harry's marbled eyes wandered over the grounds. The lake to their right tossed and churned in the wind, looking like a cauldron ready to explode. The boats carrying the first years across the volatile lake, suspended in the air, courtesy of the giant squid. To their left the carriages made their way up the path from Hogsmeade, bouncing this way and that as they knocked against rocks and muddy ruts. Birds and other winged creatures squawked in indignation and tried to cling to their nests as the trees swayed back and forth. Worst of all were the cloaked creatures that floated in the air along the edges of the boundary lines.

"Be that as it may," Draco said, once again drawing Harry from his thoughts. "We should head down to the Great Hall. Several students have already arrived and the first years should be along soon." Harry nodded and followed Draco out of the rain.

"Are you ok?" Harry suddenly asked as they made their way through the halls.

"Of course, why?" Draco asked in confusion, sensing but not understanding the deeper meaning to Harry's question.

"Well I just realized that I never really asked how you were dealing with… Lucius." Harry said nervously. "Bastard or not he was still your father."

"Harry," Draco said with a small smile, touched that his friends was worried about him despite all that he had been through. "Thank you, for your concern." He threw an arm around Harry's shoulder. His smile widened when Harry leaned in slightly. "I am fine though. I stopped caring about him a long time ago so there is no love lost because of his death."

Further statements were prevented as they entered the milling mass of students that were making their way into the Great Hall. Harry barely noticed where they were headed. Most of his focus was on keeping his face blank and free of the blush that threatened to consume his face. He wasn't sure why but when Draco had wrapped his arm around his shoulder, like he had done many times in the past two years, Harry felt a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't entirely unpleasant but it was foreign and unidentifiable. Harry was confused as to why his best friend would incite such things within him, especially when he didn't even know _what_ it was that he was feeling.

For the time being Harry set aside the confusing mystery and focused and other things. He waved happily when he saw Hermione sitting at the Ravenclaw table. She had barely begun to sit down before she pulled out the book that Harry had loaned her and started reading. Harry couldn't help but chuckle. She had the heart of any lion but was a true Ravenclaw nonetheless. Speaking of lions, Neville had entered the hall with the others of his year and looking rather harried. Harry suspected it had something to do with the red head that was rambling about something next to him. Weasley wasn't actually speaking to Neville but it was clear that his voice was getting on the usually timid boy's nerves. Finally Neville snapped something, probably some variation of 'shut up' and Weasley stared dumbfounded at Neville with his mouth hanging open. Harry smirked, Neville could be quite cutting when he wanted to be, he just had to get over his nerves first.

Harry turned his attention towards the Head Table. McGonagall was sitting in the center, looking kind yet stern as usual. She had approached Harry three days after he had been informed of Black's escape and informed him that she wished to remain in the Headmaster's position and that she had chosen Severus to be her Deputy Headmaster, which was why the glaring face of Hogwarts' Potion Master was currently absent. He was off greeting the first years, no doubt putting the fear of god into them at the same time. Next to McGonagall was an empty chair where Severus would sit and on the other side of it was a pretty witch with white hair that was pulled back into a tight ponytail. Her name was Amy Triton, the new Transfiguration professor and supposedly an associate of Harry's. While he got the feeling of familiarity from the witch, he couldn't fathom how he knew her. Her regal looking features made her look imposing yet beautiful at the same time, while her yellow eyes seemed to pierce anyone she looked at and seemed to hold a thousand years worth of knowledge.

On the other side of McGonagall was a rather weak and wary looking man. He had light brown hair and brown eyes. If you looked closely though you could barely detect how they reflected the light in a rather inhuman way. A definite sign that Remus Lupin was some type of magical creature. Lupin had arrived at the castle a few days after McGonagall had informed him of his choice to hire the lycanthrope. There was an instant tension between Severus and Lupin. Harry figured it had something to do with their past so he decided to stay out of it. When Lupin arrived, McGonagall had begun badgering the man every chance she got. With her ascending to the post of Headmistress, there was no one to act as Head of Gryffindor house but she wanted Lupin to fill the post. He had, at first refused, saying that he couldn't possibly fill the post because of his situation, because he wasn't qualified for the task, because he was only teaching defense for one year. Every time he refused, McGonagall had backed off, only to come back and pester him again. Each time she had brought the subject back up, Lupin had thought up some weird and random excuse as to why he couldn't take the position. McGonagall had finally managed to get the man to agree when she informed the man that she would have Trelawney fill the post, as she was the only one who was willing to take it on. At that, Lupin had reluctantly agreed to take the position. He simply could not allow the batty old woman to take charge of his former house. McGonagall had been smiling smugly for days afterwards.

The more Harry interacted with McGonagall the more he had trouble believing that she was a Gryffindor. She could be so sneaky and devious at times that any Slytherin would have been proud to call her a member of their house.

"Welcome everyone!" McGonagall said with a happy smile on her face as she stood up. Severus had come in with the first years and they had been sorted and now everyone was sitting quietly, looking up at McGonagall. "Welcome to a new year. This year, as you can see, there have been some major staff changes. It is with great pleasure that I introduce Professor Lupin. He will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts and will be the new Head of Gryffindor house." At this the Gryffindor table erupted in cheers and applause before quieting down after Lupin had stood up and bowed with a smile. "Next is Professor Triton who is taking up the position of Transfiguration Professor." Another round of applause came from the whole hall. "And lastly and with great pleasure, I introduce our very own Rubeus Hagrid, who will be taking on Care of Magical Creatures as Professor Kettleburn has retired. Now," McGonagall grew suddenly serious and stared down at every last one of the students, lingering slightly on the twins. "You all must be warned. As you all know, there is an escaped convict on the loose. Because of this, the Ministry has decided to post Dementors along the boundaries of Hogwarts. I must impress on all of you to stay as far away from these creatures as you can get. While they should not interfere with the day-to-day activities of this school, they will not hesitate to go after someone who gets too close, despite that person not being their prey. I implore all of you to exercise the greatest of caution and stay away from the Dementors at all times." She emphasized her point glaring sternly at them all. "Now, as we are all hungry, let's eat!"


	17. Chapter 17: Shocking Interactions

**Disclaimer: **The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me.

**A/N: **Omg! I updated! Wow! I'm sorry this took me so long to write but not only am I in the process in the moving but I had a little writers block with this story so it took me a little longer than normal to get an update worthy of my fabulous readers ;-)

**Please read!: **I would just like take a second of your time to inform you that I am thinking that this installment in the series of **The ****Heir** be not only Harry's third year but his fourth as well. I figured that with the title of The Brewing Storm that this would work out nicely. Also I have come to a decision about a certain plot idea for this series. No I'm not going to reveal it now but when I do I hope you guys won't be too upset by the twist and will actually enjoy it as part of the story. It isn't something I had originally planned on for this fic but it is headed that way.

ANYWHOZER, cookies for all that reviewed, thank you very much. I love to hear your thoughts on my stories and I hope that this chapter is no different! Enjoy!

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><p>CHAPTER FOUR: SHOCKING INTERACTIONS<p>

Harry was wandering the halls of Hogwarts in his animagus form. The welcoming feast had ended hours ago. Draco, for the sake of appearances, was down in the dungeons with the rest of Slytherin House and while Harry could do the same he had chosen to remain in his tower as he had more privacy and he felt safe and at home there. However, he couldn't sleep. Even playing his piano hadn't helped any. Therefore, he had decided to go for a walk through the castle walls. He would have gone for a walk on the grounds but one, it was a torrential rainstorm out there and two, he wasn't stupid enough to go gallivanting out in the open with a killer on the loose. He may have his doubts about the validity of what Severus had told him but he wasn't about to go walking in the open without someone with him, animagus form or no.

Harry wasn't paying much attention to where he was wandering but he made sure to keep to the shadows. He knew the teachers were likely patrolling along with the Prefects but he wasn't particularly concerned about being caught. His heightened senses gave him ample warning when he was nearing someone on patrol. He actually found it rather interesting to be able to identify someone simply by their scent. Harry had learned over the summer that McGonagall smelled like cats but he wasn't surprised as she actually was a cat. Severus smelled like the dungeons and potions ingredients. Flitwick smelled like dusty books and fresh air, which was odd as they contradicted each other.

Suddenly something caught his attention through the wards. Something was poking around along the edges of the boundary lines. Harry sat down in the shadows before turning his attention to the wards. They directed his sight towards an area in the Forbidden Forest just to the side of the main gates. There was a large and wild black dog sniffing around the edges of the wards but no one else. Harry found this strange for two reasons. First of all, it was an unusual dog that looked like it hadn't eaten properly in years and he didn't think any of the residence of Hogsmeade owned such a pet. Second, the wards never alerted him to when an animal was crossing the boundaries. Regular animals weren't considered a threat to what wards guarded so they were basically ignored. Magical creatures were different but Harry had included the natural denizens of the forest on the list of things allowed to cross the wards so they wouldn't restrict any of the natural habitats of creatures like the centaurs and thestrals. Some of the more dangerous creatures Harry had put on the approved but watch list, the dementors had been reluctantly added to this list until Black was caught. However, this dog was neither magical nor dangerous so he was confused as to why the wards would be alerting him of its presence. Suddenly the dog picked its head up and looked off deeper into the woods before it bolted in the opposite direction.

_Weird,_ Harry thought as he returned to his own surroundings.

Deciding to return to his tower and have some hot coco in the hopes it would help him sleep, Harry turned and walked back the way he came, taking several short cuts along the way.

–Scene Break–

The next morning everyone sat in the Great Hall chatting about their summers with their friends. Some of the Slytherin's, Blaise most notably, had pulled both Harry and Draco into some light conversation. The other's had been curious as to Harry's absence from the dungeons the night before but most either didn't bother to ask or weren't sure enough of themselves to do so. Blaise had been actually been the only one who bothered to ask and Harry had simply stated that he didn't feel like having the house elves move all of his things from his rooms down to the dungeons only to have them put them back in nine months. Blaise nodded in understanding to that. It really was a rather pointless endeavor.

After breakfast, Harry attended classes. His first class had been Ancient Runes, as Harry had no interest in either Muggle Studies or Divination. He grew up with muggles so he had no need to study them and while Divination seemed mildly interesting, he had seen the batty old teacher and had no wish to be subjugated to her rather nutty behavior. Harry's second class, Transfiguration, was actually mildly interesting. It was very different compared to how Minerva taught the subject. While both teachers were both very stern and strict over their classroom, Amy Triton tended to be a little more open and helped coach the students a little bit more than Minerva usually did. Harry still got the feeling that he knew her from somewhere but no matter how hard he tried, he simply could not place her anywhere. It was really beginning to bug him.

After Transfiguration, Harry walked besides Draco as they made their way down into the dungeons for Potions. Harry was actually looking forward to Potions class. It was one of his favorite classes since there were always improvements to be made or experiments to be done. There was also the added benefit of having a somewhat silent class. Sure, it was Slytherin and Gryffindor but since most of the students were scared of Severus, they had a tendency to keep quiet for fear of losing points and getting detentions. Therefore, in spite of the fact that he hadn't gotten a whole lot of sleep last night Harry was having a rather good day. The classes proved a great distraction from Harry's normally whirling thoughts and Draco, who hardly left his side, was beginning to make him laugh as he grumbled about idiotic Gryffindors and their ineptness. Overall, Harry was feeling happier than he had felt in several months.

Unfortunately that hadn't lasted. Not even a full day. It started with Defense Against the Dark Arts. The class had started off perfectly fine. Remus Lupin was an excellent teacher. He enthralled the class, making it entertaining, interesting, and educational all at the same time. The problem had arisen when Lupin had begun the practical aspect of the class. It was actually rather exciting. None of the other teachers had ever done practical's before and while Harry was slightly more advanced than the other students he was fairly excited to see what would happen. Lupin did not disappoint.

He took them all to the teachers' lounge where a boggart was concealed within a wardrobe. After listening to an explanation from Harry, who was the only one in the class that knew what a boggart was, about how the creature took on the shape of what a person fears the most, Lupin directed the class in the incantation to get rid of a boggart. When everyone had it down spat, he had them line up single file and prepare to face the boggart. Neville ended up being first in line and Lupin graciously coached the boy through it. After ensuring the boy was ready, Lupin gestured with his wand and the wardrobe clicked open. When the boggart stepped out it was in the guise of Lockhart. Harry quirked an eyebrow, as did Draco, but they really weren't all that surprised considering what the man had almost done to Neville. Said boy quaked for a moment, no doubt fighting off his memories, but he seemed to steel his nerves and acted.

"Riddikulus!" Neville incanted firmly as he pointed his wand at the creature. The imitation of Lockhart was suddenly dressed in a long green dress and a large hat with a vulture on top. The entire class erupted in laughter at the sight. Lupin applauded Neville's work and had him step aside to let the next person have a go.

Dean Thomas stepped up to the plate. After a moment's hesitation, the boggart morphed into a living disembodied hand. It really was rather disgusting but after Dean pulled himself together, everyone laughed as the hand jerked around in pain as it found itself caught in a mousetrap. Weasley revealed his fear of spiders (as if anyone didn't already know thanks to Fred and George) but everyone laughed as the giant spider attempted to stay up right with roller skates on its feet. Then Parvati Patil stepped up and turned her giant cobra into a jack-in-the-box.

After that, Harry was next in line. He stepped forward and prepared to face the boggart. He was unsure of himself though. He didn't know what he really feared the most. There _were_ things that he feared but he rationalized them away as irrelevant since like ninety-nine percent of them wouldn't or couldn't happen. Then, after a long minute, the boggart seemed to decide for him. It shifted and morphed until he was staring at himself. He was covered in blood. The front of his robes were drenched in it. The sickly red fluid dripped from his fingers. Blood stained his face and boggart Harry smiled a bloody smile and reached out a hand. Everyone in the class froze when they saw Harry's boggart. Even Lupin, who had been a hairs breath away from intervening, froze. Harry stood there in both shock and fear at what this represented. Suddenly the boggart went flying backwards as it was hit with a powerful _Expelliarmus_ and silver filled Harry's vision.

"No," Draco's voice said with absolute conviction.

"But I–" Whatever Harry might have said was cut off.

"No." Draco said more forcefully. "We've been through this. You did nothing wrong."

"Well," Lupin said after he had banished the boggart back to the wardrobe. "I think that's enough for today. Class dismissed." The other students groaned slightly but didn't offer too much complaint as the filed out of the teachers' lounge, all whispering quietly about Harry's boggart. "Why don't we go have some tea?" He suggested as he turned back to Harry and Draco. "I'll cover for you with Hagrid."

"Thank you Professor," Draco said as he led a still shocked Harry out of the room behind the werewolf.

"I didn't… didn't even know," Harry said shakily as sat down a soft and plushy chair in Lupin's office several minutes later. "Didn't even realize."

"We often don't realize what it is that we fear until we're faced with it," Lupin said as he handed Harry a cup of chamomile tea. "Would you mind if I asked why you fear yourself though?" He added gently as he took a seat across from Harry as Draco sat in a chair next to his best friend.

"I-I," Harry stuttered with a shake of his head, unable to fully comprehend and voice what the boggart had revealed to him.

"Harry," Draco said, having no such qualms. Harry turned to stare into those silver pools that held so much determination and… something that Harry couldn't recognize but made his heart dance erratically for some reason. "You are not a danger. You are not a threat to anyone, not even yourself."

"But–" Harry started to protest when he was once again cut off by his determined friend.

"_No_," Draco said firmly and in a voice that allowed no room for argument. "I told you before and I'll keep telling you until you get it through your skull." He paused to phrase his next words carefully. He wasn't sure if Lupin was trustworthy or no and he couldn't risk word getting out that Lucius was dead. "You acted out of an instinct to protect. There is nothing wrong with that." Harry opened his mouth to say something more but Draco spoke over him. "If Severus had done something similar out of the same motives, would you fear him?"

Lupin watched the cryptic exchange between the pureblood heir and the son of his two best friends quietly and passively, not daring to interrupt. It was clear to him that something had happened and it wasn't anything good either. He'd have to have a talk with Severus later. _Severus_, He thought with a pang in his chest as he recalled the surly man. He had been shocked to find that he was the guardian of Harry when he came to Hogwarts but that was nothing compared to the shock of the changes in Harry and everything else that he had learned when had returned to the world he had left behind all those years ago. When James and Lily died, Sirius arrested, and Harry denied him by Dumbledore, Remus, with nothing to do and nothing holding him here, left the country to grieve for his shattered life in peace. It had been a great shock when he had received an owl twelve years later with a request from Minerva to teach DADA. He had been out of the loop of what had been happening in Britain that he had no idea that Dumbledore had even been arrested, let alone ejected from the position of Hogwarts' Headmaster and by the owner of Hogwarts no less! He still didn't know who the owner was as Minerva had been suspiciously quiet on that subject and had merely given him a slight smirk in response.

"No," Harry said aloud after a few moments thought, ignorant to Lupin's own musings.

"So why do you fear yourself for it?" Draco questioned logically, hoping to nip this in the bud before it could fester. Harry had _no_ reason what so ever to fear himself, even subconsciously.

"I guess," Harry said as he stared into the flames that flickered in the hearth. "It's because I didn't think when I did it." He continued, unconsciously coding his words as Draco had done. "I didn't think, I just acted and that's what scares me. If I can do that without thinking then what else am I capable of?"

"Harry," Draco sighed sadly, as he got up and went over to Harry's chair, threw an arm over the raven-haired boy's shoulder and sat down on the arm of the chair. "You are not a bad person," He whispered quietly so Lupin wouldn't hear, forgetting the man's sharp hearing due to being a werewolf and using his hair as a shield his face as he leaned into Harry's ear. "You would never willingly harm someone just to harm them. "Your actions arose from a place of goodness and righteousness. You protected me," His said, his voice dropping lower, actually going below the wolf's hearing but thankfully not Harry's since they were close. "And I can't thank you enough for that."

"Prat," Harry grumbled petulantly. "You just can't let me wallow can you?"

Draco sniffed in disdain, using his best Malfoy sneer and looking the perfect pureblood heir. "Such actions are beneath one of your station. I would be loath to allow such a transgression slide." Harry couldn't help it. He laughed. The blond looked so deadly serious but the glint that was in his eyes and the tone that only Harry could hear completely ruined the image. It was just like Draco to pull something like that too and it was something he reserved for only his friends and it made Harry's heart soar in happiness that he was one of those friends.

Draco was secretly pleased that he had managed to elicit a laugh from Harry after something like this. In Draco's eyes Harry was made to laugh. The sound was so beautiful that it made Draco think of harps thrumming under the fingers of angels. And the way those marbled eyes sparkled in happiness only served to make Harry look more beautiful… That caused Draco some pause. He had never really thought of his friend as beautiful before, at least consciously, and he fought with every ounce of his self-control not allow the blush that threatened to consume his face. Sure, there was that time when Harry had dressed up for Dumbledore's trial but that was more of a 'he looks good cleaned up' kind of thing. Thinking someone was beautiful was very different from thinking they looked good when dressed properly. He was actually grateful when Professor Lupin spoke up, reminding them both that he was there. It gave him an excuse to stop thinking such thoughts… not that he was complaining really. He just didn't want Harry to pick up on them.

"Do you think you are capable of going to your next class or would you like to remain here until dinner?" Lupin inquired gently, torn as to whether he wanted Harry to stay or to go. On the one had he wanted Harry to stay so he could get to know the boy better but on the other he wanted Harry to go so he, Lupin, could seek out Severus and attempt to wheedle answers out of the Potions Master since he doubted he would get anything more than he already had out of the teens.

"As much as I would like to stay, I want to go and be there for Hagrid's first class." Harry said as he put down his cup of cold tea and stood up. "It only just started so we'd only have missed the first few minutes."

"Very well," Lupin said as he got up and went over to his desk. "I'll write you a pass so Hagrid won't have to deal out detentions or point deductions during his first class."

Harry thanked Lupin as he accepted the passes and pulled a slightly resistant Draco out of the room. The blond, while not holding any disdain for the half giant, held no love for him either so he wasn't particularly keen on going to his class. Especially since the man now had a license to play with dangerous creatures.

–Scene Break–

After dinner, Remus slowly made his way towards the dungeons, more than a little nervous. He hadn't actually talked with Severus in a very long time, at least not in private with no one else around. Severus had turned spy a few years into the first war so the two naturally had to work together. Still, neither had interacted very much. They had barely spoken three civil words to each other, hell words period, since Remus had come to work at Hogwarts. Before then Remus had been out of the country, out of contact with everyone and before then… well the two of them had been very distance since–

"Is there a reason you're standing outside my door lost in thought?" A cutting and cold voice snapped Remus out of his thoughts. He looked up to see that he had indeed been standing outside the door to Severus' rooms and that the Potions Master had come up behind him.

"Yes," Remus said as he turned to face Severus, pulling himself together as he did so. "I wished to speak with you about Harry."

"What of him?" Severus asked with a blank face. Despite his feigned ignorance and indifference, Severus knew why the wolf wanted to speak with him. He had heard the rumors and had spoken with Harry as soon as he could to ensure that he was faring well.

"There was an incident in class today, as I'm sure you are well aware," Remus hedged in a neutral voice, not wanting to set off the tetchy man. "They did their best to keep me from knowing what they were talking about but that doesn't erase the fact that Harry's boggart was himself covered in blood. I was hoping you could shed some light on the matter."

"What's it to you what the boy fears?" Severus asked snidely, though with no real heat. He stepped past Remus and opened his door, intent on having a small drink. He knew Remus would not let this go and a part of him, a part he had long since buried very deep, hoped that the wolf would remain at Hogwarts. He of course told himself that he wanted that purely for Harry's sake as the wolf could give the boy something Severus could not; happy memories of the boy's parents.

"You are not the only one who cares for him Severus," Remus said in that infuriatingly calm voice. "And that boggart revealed a lot about Harry and the conversation between him and Mr. Malfoy even more. Harry fears himself and while Mr. Malfoy did an exceptional job of assuaging and alleviating those fears, something like that does not simply go away. What I want to know though, is why that fear is there at all."

Severus sighed heavily. He had feared something like this would happen to Harry. He had not expected it to be the wolf that revealed it though. He was not surprised though, that Harry wasn't even consciously aware of the fear before today. Something like that usually started deep in the unconscious. Regardless, it was known now and whether or not he would have preferred to have discovered it in a way that did not involve the wolf, it did, and since the man would refuse to let it go until he had answers, especially since it concerned someone the wolf considered pack.

"You are skilled in Occlumency yes?" Severus asked as he poured two glasses of brandy; they would be needed.

"Yes," Remus answered in both shock and nervousness. He could smell the deep regret, sorrow, and weariness. It wasn't like Severus to lower his guard like that around anyone, as far as Remus knew.

"You will speak of this to absolutely no one," Severus said in a voice of steel and with a look in his eyes Remus had never seen before. "Not even Harry until I have had the opportunity to speak with the boy about you being informed."

"Alright," Remus agreed albeit a little nervously.

"I want an oath wolf," Severus pushed, still not handing the second glass of brandy over to Remus. "That way you won't slip accidentally."

Remus eyed the man before with no small amount of apprehension. He liked to think that he knew Severus fairly well, despite the man's closed demeanor and tendency for secrets. But this… this was a different man than the one he had gotten used to so long ago. He was guarded, as always, but those shields had changed. Instead of the solid and impenetrable metal they had once been, they were now softer, more open but at the same time far fiercer than they had ever been. What surprised Remus the most though, was that Harry seemed to be the root of those fierce shields. Remus knew that Severus had taken charge of Harry, going as far as to adopt the boy, but he did not realize that Severus had actually come to care for the child.

_Maybe_– Remus immediately cut off that dangerous thought and proceeded to give his oath of silence. It would do no good to think such things at present. Severus nodded, handed over one of the glasses filled with amber fluid and begun to divulge the answers Remus sought.

–Scene Break–

Over the following weeks the tense air that the term had started out with seemed to abate and the storm that had raged over the grounds since the dementors had arrived finally calmed, allowing the soaked grounds to dry. This also allowed the Quidditch teams to practice in dry weather, which meant Draco would be busy. Harry had come to watch several practices since he was not only fond of the game but of watching the blond fly as well. Harry was continually caught off guard by his churning emotions for the blond, emotions he couldn't comprehend or understand. He was also forced to suppress a blush every time the blond made physical contact. He had no clue what was going on or why and the fact that he found himself admiring Draco's physical attributes only served to make him think something was wrong with him.

As it was, Harry was very grateful when Halloween finally rolled around. It provided him with a much-needed distraction. After much pleading on Harry's part, Severus finally relented and signed the permission slip allowing Harry to visit Hogsmeade. Though he had been living at Hogwarts for a little over two years now, Harry had yet to actually visit the village and he was excited to get the opportunity to do so. With a happy smile, he trudged along the path towards the village with Hermione, Neville, and Draco alongside him. The other three noticed his unusually happy grin but chose not to comment, as it had been a while since they had seen Harry this happy, especially Draco. Hermione and Neville didn't know what had happened at the beginning of the summer but didn't ask as they sensed it was something troubling and very sensitive.

"So where do you want to go to first?" Neville asked as they entered the village.

"I vote for Honeydukes," Harry said almost immediately. "It is Halloween after all."

"I'm good with that," Draco said with a chuckle, ignoring Hermione's reprimand that they shouldn't eat too many sweets or they'll rot their teeth.

Despite her protests to the contrary, Hermione ended up buying a few sweets for herself before they left the sweets shop, though she didn't buy nearly as many as the others did. When they left Honeydukes the quartet meandered through the village exploring the different shops but never straying from the main road or going too deep. Those were the conditions Severus had laid down to allow Harry to visit Hogsmeade and there wasn't a single doubt in any of their minds that Severus would have their heads if they violated the terms and put Harry in danger. Before they were to make their way back to the castle the four of them stopped by the Three Broomsticks to have a Butterbeer and warm up a little bit and Harry couldn't help but laugh at Weasley. The boy was on the other side of the room and practically drooling over the barmaid and owner of the pub Madam Rosmerta.

Harry should have known it wouldn't last though. Halloween had proved troublesome for the past two years so it would only make sense that the trend would continue this year. He was in the Great Hall enjoying the feast and light conversation with Draco and Blaise and occasionally a few other Slytherins who decided to join in the conversation, like Theodor Nott. He was in the middle of responding to a comment Blaise had made when he froze, his attention on the wards. The silver that had threaded through his eyes after the wards had bound to them so Harry could see glowed slightly as they always did whenever he was looking through the wards. Draco recognized this but the others didn't and they stared at Harry in curiosity, wondering why he had stopped talking. The glow stopped, signaling his return to his surroundings, but he didn't continue speaking. Instead, he plastered on a blank mask and calmly rose to his feet. He didn't want to incite panic but whispers still broke out among the students as Harry made his way towards the Head Table. The whispers grew as Harry went _behind_ the table instead of in front of it. He walked over to Severus' chair and leaned in between his and the Headmistress' chair, using Severus' chair for some support.

"Black just left the castle," Harry spoke calmly and in low tones so it did not carry. He still looked perfectly calm and in control, like any pureblood or Slytherin.

"What?" Severus and Minerva spoke in unison, both supporting stunned expressions. "How did he get in, in the first place? I thought the wards wouldn't allow anyone into the castle unless you approved." Minerva continued speaking, still in shock.

"They do," Harry confirmed with a nod. "But there are two factors in play at the moment, both of which are better discussed without the prying ears and eyes of students who are starting to worry."

"Indeed," Severus said with a blank face as surveyed the whispering and worried faces of the students. "I suggest we lock down the castle and keep everyone in the hall tonight so we may watch and ensure they're safety."

"I agree," Minerva said as she stood up and sent a round of sparks in the air, gaining the students attention. "Attention! It appears that the castle has been breached. To ensure everyone's safety, all students are to remain within the Great Hall. Prefects, along with the Head Boy and Girl, are to ensure all students remain within the Great Hall while the teachers and I search the castle and round up any stray students. No one is to leave the hall. If you have need of the bathroom, you are to get a prefect to go with you. If I find anyone has broken these rules, you will spend the next two months in detention with both Professor Snape and Filch. Heads of House please ensure your charges are within the hall. If any are not, please inform the rest of us and help us bring them to the safety of the Great Hall." With that, she turned to leave the Great Hall, gesturing Harry to follow. "Did you have the wards seal the castle?" Minerva asked once they were out of earshot of the students. The other teachers had followed them out but quickly went off to scour the castle for stray students and any sign of Black, though he wasn't in the castle anymore.

"Yes," Harry confirmed. "All possible points of entry have been sealed shut, including the secret passages, which is how Black got in."

"Which passage? And I thought the wards covered the secret passages in and out of the castle?" Minerva asked as she shooed a student coming out of the bathroom back to the Great Hall.

"They do, that's where my mistake came in," Harry said with a sigh as he led Minerva towards the third floor.

"_Your_ mistake?" Minerva asked, bewildered as to what Harry was referring to.

"Yes my mistake," Harry repeated. "But I guess it wasn't all that bad of one as it revealed something rather interesting."

"Harry," A new voice interjected just as they reached the third floor in the grand staircase. "You're not making any sense."

"Sorry," Harry said with a sheepish smile at Severus. "Given the amount of people that would be coming in and out of the castle on a regular basis I instructed the wards to bar anyone who attempted to get on the grounds with the intent to harm any of the students or faculty. Given what we know and suspect of Black and his motives, this seemed like a logical and reasonable choice to make."

"A very Slytherin approach," Severus praised and Harry grinned slightly.

"However," Harry continued with a chuckle as he continued down the hall on the third floor. "I did not know Black new about any of the secret passages leading into and out of the castle. While my command did extend to the passages, I did not notice his entrance do to the fact that I had mentally shelved the secret passages as inconsequential since I didn't know he knew of them. So few people do and those that do don't brag about it, thus I basically ignored them as a possible entry point." Harry directed their attention to the statue of the one-eyed-witch, moving it aside with a gesture of his hand. "This leads to Honeydukes cellar in Hogsmeade. What confuses me though, is that the wards allowed him entry at all. If he had any intent to harm any student within these walls, even if his mind had completely shattered into insanity from his stay in Azkaban, then they would have alerted me immediately and refused him to even cross the boundary line in the tunnel."

It was clear that neither of the adults really knew what to make of that. Harry himself found it confusing. From what they thought they knew and what they assumed, Black was a brutal Death Eater who betrayed his parents, murdered twelve muggles and a wizard, and was hunting Harry down at this very moment. That didn't track with a man who apparently harbored no intentions of harming the students or faculty or Harry himself for that matter. It didn't matter what orders Harry gave the wards, especially since they're blood wards, they wouldn't allow harm to come to their caregiver.

"You're certain Black has left?" Minerva asked as she examined the opening of the secret passage.

"Yes, I watched him leave through the wards," Harry answered as he scratched his chin in thought. "What did he want? Why did he sneak into the castle just to leave without taking anything or anyone?"

"I can answer that first question," The booming voice of Hagrid sounded from behind them, the docile and lupine form of Remus Lupin next to him, reminding them all that tonight was the night of the full moon. Harry felt Severus stiffen slightly but otherwise made no movement or comment. "I asked him to help me find you after I went to check Gryffindor tower for any students." Hagrid added to explain Lupin's presence. "You better come with me."

Not waiting for a response, Hagrid turned and stomped off. Lupin half growled, half barked at them before turning and following Hagrid. Confused by the two professor's actions, Harry, Severus, and Minerva followed. The werewolf and half giant led Harry and the others up several flights of stairs before coming to a stop on the seventh floor.

"I found this when I came up here looking for a few Gryffindors that weren't in the hall," Hagrid said as he stepped aside to reveal the slashed portrait that had once held the fat lady.

"Well," Harry said when he had managed to overcome his surprise. "At least it appears she managed to leave the frame before it was slashed."

"Indeed," Severus drawled as he examined the torn canvas. "The question is though, why was he attempting to get into Gryffindor tower?"

"Another glitch in the story," Harry nodded in agreement, as he made his way towards a nearby painting. "If he was after me, wouldn't he know I was in Slytherin and head for the dungeons? It was all over the paper the day after I was sorted and was mentioned in several articles before and after Dumbledore's trial. Where is she?" He added to the occupants of the painting.

"Behind the black pig Milord," An elderly looking witch answered as she pointed up the stairwell and across the way. Harry nodded to the witch before making his way over to the painting she had indicated.

"My lady," Harry said gently and respectfully. "You needn't fear any longer. Black is gone from the castle."

"I remembered him," The Fat Lady said as she poked her head over the top of the pig she was hiding behind, clearly still in shock. "Very charming he was. One of the most charming students I've ever seen walk past my portrait. But he didn't have the password and he went into such a rage when I refused him."

"You did well Dear Lady. You performed your duty admirably and are most definitely worthy of your house," Harry smirked at the blush that crept along the lady's cheeks. "Do you remember anything else though? Something he might have done or said."

"N–" The Fat Lady paused as she mentally went over what had happened. "He was different from before. He seemed erratic. One minute he was smooth and charming and the next he started rocking and shaking. He would mutter to himself. I didn't catch most of it but I did catch him saying something about a treacherous rat endangering his godson. That was when he asked me for entrance and I denied him because he didn't have the password."

"Thank you Dear Lady," Harry said before turning to the others who had walked up behind him. He noted the rapt attention Lupin was giving the painting behind him and how he appeared… conflicted. For the moment, he ignored that and focused on his guardian. "Severus, there are too many conflicting pieces."

"Your point being?" Severus drawled in a very tense tone. Harry stared at his guardian for a long minute. He wasn't a fool. He knew that Severus absolutely loathed Black for some reason; Harry could feel the churning hatred coming from the man every time Black's name was mentioned. Harry had only ever told Draco that he could feel what other people were feeling so Severus didn't know that Harry knew about his hatred but that was honestly besides the point right now.

"Nothing," Harry sighed heavily. He knew he wouldn't be able to get the man to see reason right now, especially since it concerned Black. He turned and started down the stairs. "I shall be in the Great Hall with the other students. I suggest finding a replacement for the Fat Lady until her painting is repaired and remove the students in Gryffindor tower and have them escorted to the Great Hall."

The three professors behind Harry stared at him in surprise. The sudden shift in his demeanor and the blatant dropping of a topic had startled them all, particularly Severus. He wasn't blind, he saw the inconsistencies but he despised Black, more so than he despised James after what Black had pulled. When Harry had begun to speak of the inconsistencies Severus had been fully prepared to dig his heels in but he hadn't needed to. Harry had completely dropped the subject and walked off. It was almost as if Harry had sensed Severus' hatred and knew that if he continued with the line of conversation then he was only going to end up with a headache.

"Unless you need me for something Minerva," Severus said turning his attention to the Headmistress. "I will go keep watch over the students."

–Scene Break–

Harry silently made his way into the Great Hall. The hall had already been turned into a temporary campsite. The tables were gone and the lights had vanished for all but a few flames that provided both warmth and soft light, not that it was needed really. The full moon that shone down from the enchanted ceiling provided plenty of light. Someone, likely Flitwick, had provided everyone with sleeping bags and pillows, all of which were charmed to remain warm so the students wouldn't freeze in the middle of the night. Despite there not being any house tables, everyone had segregated themselves by houses. Everyone, that is, except three students.

Unable to restrain the smirk that played across his face, Harry approached where Draco, Hermione, and Neville all lay in their sleeping bags, already asleep like the rest of the hall. His gaze lingered on the blond and Harry couldn't help but admire how beautiful Draco was. The moonlight fell over the fair and aristocratic features and the platinum blond hair making the boy appear as if he was glowing with a sacred light. Despite the confusion that usually enveloped Harry whenever he looked at his best friend like this, Harry was forced to admit that the blond was simply gorgeous.

"Harry," Said boy barely had time to register the voice, the hand on his shoulder, and the owner of both before something happened.

Suddenly he wasn't standing in the Great Hall anymore… or maybe he was. He wasn't really sure. At first, there was only darkness. Then there was light, white light, like that of the moon. Then there were both. Out of nowhere, images suddenly flared into existence. He saw his birth, the year of life he was given with his parents, then horror that was the next ten years. But he felt detached, withdrawn from the images. He knew they belonged to him but he felt no attachment to them. The images froze on him craftily tossing his Hogwarts letter into his cupboard under the stairs so his relatives didn't see it.

"This is who you are," A soft and gentle female voice washed over Harry's ears.

Before Harry could respond, the image flickered and distorted like a television set malfunctioning. Images of his time at Hogwarts interspersed with the frozen image of his cleverness. They reminded him of how confident and strong he was before he killed Lucius and before he had the shocking revelation with the boggart. They reminded him that he wasn't a killer but a defender. He was one who knew the dark depths of despair, pain, sorrow, fear, anger, helplessness, and everything else that encompassed the darker side of life. He knew all these things and yet he walked in the light and yearned for love, compassion, happiness and _life_. These were the things he was but nowhere did any of it say he was a killer and Harry now truly realized what Severus and Draco had been telling him since he killed Lucius.

"Yes," That soft and comforting voice said once again.

The images flared and began to move at a rapid speed. They moved so fast that he could barely comprehend most of them. He saw blond hair and black. He saw green eyes and silver. He saw war against vile darkness. He saw happiness. He saw flashes of jeweled crowns seconds before he was slammed into a world of darkness.

"Stick to this path my child," A new voice said this one male but no less gentle than the female voice. A soft light pierced the darkness and Harry saw two figures silhouetted within the light. "You have made good decisions my son."

"Fear not what people will think of you," The female voice said as the figures drew closer. "Always follow your heart. It will not lead you astray so long as you trust in it as you have done so thus far."

"Be strong Harry." The male voice spoke up. "Much turmoil lies ahead for you but there is much happiness as well. Be strong and you will prevail."

"Always know that we are proud of you my son." The female said. Harry felt tears well up in his eyes when the figures drew close enough for Harry to recognize them as James and Lily Potter. "And that we love you." Lily laid a hand on Harry's chest with a smile before Harry was once again ripped from the scene and was slammed back into his body in the Great Hall. He stumbled with a gasp but the strong hand on his shoulder held him steady.

"Harry?" Concern laced the voice of the Potions Master as he came around to stand in front of Harry. He had only just laid his hand on Harry's shoulder and that was not the reaction he had been expecting.

"I–" Harry started to say but was cut off by his Occlumency shields shattering.

Harry brought his hands to his head as he tilted back in a silent scream of agony as a thousand emotions flooded his system all at once. Pain, happiness, sorrow, joy, concern, contentedness, the neutral haze of sleep, the attentive piercing of alertness, _FEAR_, so many conflicting emotions warred within Harry's mind. Even with them sleeping peacefully, Harry felt their emotions pulsing through his system and he fell to his knees and then collapsed onto his back, which arched in pain. Tears of agony flowed down his face. He tried desperately to pull his shields back together but he couldn't focus enough through the pain in order to formulate any sort of defense. His empathy had grown so much since first year that the Quidditch game he had attended then without his shields was nothing compared to this. It was too much! So many emotions, so much pain. A thousand voices, a thousand fingers, and a thousand hearts filled with so much emotion and he was dead center. _TOO MUCH!_ His mind screamed. In a desperate bid to save his sanity, Harry transformed.

Silence, oh sweet, blessed, all encompassing silence. It was almost deafening as Harry lay on his side on the cool stone floor of the Great Hall panting in relief.

"Harry," Severus called and Harry could smell deep concern rolling off the man. Gentle hands came into contact with Harry's fur covered shoulder but he didn't have any energy to formulate any sort of response.

"Take him to your quarters," A new voice called. Onyx and marbled eyes looked up to see Professor Triton standing above them. Her eyes locked with Harry briefly and Harry suddenly knew how he knew her and he let out a confused whine. "He needs rest and time to rebuild his shields. I will be down in a while to speak with the two of you."

Severus would have snapped at the woman for her impertinence but concern for Harry overrode everything else so he levitated Harry out of the hall and down into the dungeons. Once in his rooms Severus laid a limp Harry down on his couch as gently and comfortably as possible. Harry purred in gratitude but he didn't dare change back just yet. His shields were still in tatters and he wasn't about to risk picking up any more emotions until he had them repaired. Unfortunately that meant he couldn't communicate with Severus which meant he couldn't ask for water. That didn't mean he wasn't going to try though.

"What's wrong?" Severus asked when he heard Harry whine in complaint. Harry licked his nose (which a strange sensation to begin with) and then ran his tongue down his whiskered cheek. "What?" Severus asked again in confusion but Harry could only repeat the gesture. "Are you thirsty?" Severus asked in mild irritation. His question was rewarded with a purr of happiness. He sighed and conjured a bowl of water for Harry to drink from, something told him that Harry wasn't about to revert to his human form. Harry struggled to prop himself up enough to lap up the water from the bowl Severus had conjured. "This would be easier if you transformed you know?" Severus remarked as Harry flopped backwards.

"He wouldn't be drinking anything if he were to do that," Amy Triton's voice sounded just as Harry let out a throaty growl of denial.

"Since you seem to know everything," Severus said snidely as he stood up and glared at the Transfiguration professor, unaware of who she really was. "Then why wouldn't he be drinking anything if he was human."

"Because he'd be insane," Triton said simply, not phased in the slightest by Severus' cold glare.

"Why, pray tell, would he insane?" Severus demanded, not liking where this was going.

"Did you not tell him about your ability?" Triton inquired, looking to Harry, who responded in a series of growls and whines. "I see," Triton, said taking a seat in a chair. "Well to start things off, Harry has been a full blown empath since Halloween of his first year and before you jump to conclusions about him keeping secrets, this happened while you were both unsure of each other and the only reason he didn't tell you after was because it did not occur to him to do so."

"Who are you to know all this?" Severus demanded quietly as his brain processed that piece of information.

"She is Aili, Severus," Harry said as he sat up on the couch, a hand to his sore head. He finally managed to focus enough to erect new shields. At first, he had been attempting to pull together the shattered remains of his old ones but he soon realized that they were beyond repair so he burned the pieces and made new ones. "Though to be honest, I haven't a clue how she managed it."

"How are you feeling?" Severus asked as he quickly began to run diagnostic spells over Harry since he couldn't do them while he was a panther.

"Very, very weak," Harry responded as he rubbed his temples.

"Weak or overloaded?" Triton, who was apparently Aili, questioned. Harry looked at her in confusion so she elaborated. "Do you feel drained and sore or do you feel so swamped with energy that it's making you feel weak?"

Harry thought about it for a moment before he realized that Aili was right. "H-how?" He stuttered in shock.

"Before I get into that, did something happen just before your shields shattered?" Aili questioned in an almost gentle tone that would've caused Harry to smirk if he wasn't preoccupied with thoughts of what had transpired before his shields collapsed.

"Y-yes," Harry said hesitantly, still unsure of what he had seen. The first half, the stuff about him and who he was, that was clear and he easily understood the meaning. The second half was a different story though and he was still trying to sort through it all.

"I'm guessing it was a vision of sorts? Probably involved your parents?" Harry gaped at her in sheer amazement.

"How…" Harry was unable to voice his question completely due to his shock.

"Perhaps it would be best if you explained to us both what is going on Aili," Severus declared in a tone that allowed no room for disobedience, not that Aili would ever heed such things of course.

"It relates to Harry's animagus form," Aili explained in a very teacher like voice that matched her physical form. "No one has ever been a panther before and that's because they are extremely rare and unique. The actual animal is not all that uncommon but as an animagus form, no. As far as I know, not one person has ever been a black panther."

"You're point?" Severus glared impatiently but was forced to back down and look away from the intensity of Aili's withering gaze.

"My _point_, is," Aili said as she turned her attention away from the interruption. "Is that magically and symbolically speaking, black panthers are very powerful and unique. Their power is ancient, going back centuries before the founders' time and is tied to the moon. In many cultures, the Black Panther is viewed as a very powerful spirit guide. It has the ability to walk through the astral plane, which is how you ended up at Malfoy Manor at the start of summer. In your desperation you tapped into the spirit essence of your animagus form and moved yourself from one place to another. This is also the reason behind the vision you had. Because tonight is the full moon, you had an influx of power and that was augmented by All Hallows Eve, the time when the veil between worlds is at its thinnest. This triggered the vision you had."

"But why would an influx of power shatter my shields?" Harry asked when Aili had fallen silent and his brain had absorbed a little of what she had said. "And am I to expect something like this every full moon or just when it coincides with Halloween?"

"It wasn't the influx of power that shattered your shields, it was you," Aili stated simply. "I can only guess that you had some sort of epiphany during your vision."

"Severus, what does she mean?" Harry practically whined to his guardian.

"She means," Severus said slowly. He was having a better time of absorbing the information Aili had given them than Harry was but it was still a lot, especially when you consider that he was putting pieces together that Harry likely wouldn't. "That your shields shattered because, in a way, you did or rather your perception of yourself did. Occlumency shields are based on a person's mind and their identity. If one or the other or both are destroyed then the shields will fall. Care to share your epiphany?"

Harry shifted nervously and in some slight embarrassment. It was a very personal vision and he still wasn't certain what the second half was.

"I was forced to remember who I truly am," Harry said after a few moments' hesitation. He decided to just share the epiphany since that was all that was asked for. "I guess I had started centering myself around what had happened with Lucius without even realizing it and had started basing my self image on what happened. I was forgetting myself and when I was forced to realize who I truly am the shields shattered allowing my empathy to run rampant."

"The panther is strong within you Harry," Aili said after allowing what Harry said to settle. "When you performed the ritual, you didn't just become an animagus. That type of magic is spirit magic, which is why there is always a feeling of awareness to the magic. Few people ever really take note of presence when they attempt the ritual, too focused on other things, but it is still there. Am I right?"

"Yeah," Harry said with some surprise. "I thought it was just a part of the ritual but I felt something ancient watching me, evaluating me as I drew the runes and said the chant."

"That was the spirit of the panther." Aili explained. "The animagus ritual calls upon the spirit of whatever animal closely represents that person's nature and identity. There are always some discrepancies of course but you so closely embody everything that a panther represents that you not only took its shape but much of the spirit itself." She paused and leaned forward to emphasis her point she was about to make. "You must be careful during times of the full moon. You will grow stronger and more powerful, both physically and magically, especially at the moons peak. It is no coincidence that you performed the ritual on the night of the full moon and that only served to strengthen your bond with the spirit. Your power will return to normal during the day and when the moon wanes but when it is full you will likely have no equal."

"A bit terrifying if I do say so myself," Harry said with a shocked sigh as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Yes but remember. Panthers are guardians. They do what they must to defend what they deem as theirs," She gave Harry a pointed and knowing look and he promptly turned away as his face flushed in embarrassment.

"If you think you can handle it," Severus said as he stood up from where he had been sitting on the couches arm. "I think we should return to the Great Hall so you may get some rest where I can keep an eye on you."

"I agree," Harry said through a yawn and a chuckle. He got up and followed his professors out of the room.

When they returned to the Great Hall everyone was still resting peacefully as if it weren't out of the ordinary for them to be sleeping there. Harry could feel trickles of their emotions floating in through his shields like he usually felt and he breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that his shields were strong once more. He took the sleeping bag and pillow from Severus and went over to where his three friends were sleeping peacefully. He once more caught sight of the blond and once more marveled at how beautiful the boy looked in the moonlight.

"_Remember, we are proud,_" A soft voice whispered in his ears. He felt arms wrap around him but he didn't fight them off for he knew who they belonged to. He recognized the voice from his vision and tears flooded his eyes and streamed down his cheeks. "_Follow your heart my son. We love you._"

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><p><strong>AN: **Sorry, little foot note here. Just a heads up. Draco and Harry will be getting very close in coming chapters. No slash just quite yet (sorry) but they will definitely be trying to cross that boundary from best friends to boyfriends... ooo la la and oh my!


	18. Chapter 18: Some Holiday Notions

**Disclaimer: **The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me.

**A/N:** Alrighty everyone! Here's the next chapter! Two characters show up in this chapter that haven't been seen yet, can you guess who? Despite this new chapter being completed I am actually a sad writer. I lost one of my readers the other day because they didn't like the thought of Draco and Harry being together :-( I'm not even sure why the person was even reading my fics to begin with as I gave you all ample warning that this series would involve Draco and Harry getting together. Oh well. Their fault not mine. Anywhozer, enjoy the update and let me know what you think!

**Slash Warning:** sadly this puts a kibosh on my thoughts to surprise you guys at the end but alas it must be done. Oh well. To those who don't know (though I doubt there are any) slash is sex between two men. To those young eyes that might be out there and shouldn't read such things advert your youthful gazes when Harry and Draco return to Harry's tower. I had initially not planned such an encounter but the story progressed as it wanted and I had no control. I know there is a note in earlier chapters stating that there wouldn't be any such encounters for a while and I will be fixing that so don't worry. I just thought yall should know.

ENJOY!

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><p>CHAPTER FIVE: SOME HOLIDAY NOTIONS<p>

Over the course of the next several weeks, Harry was seen to be much happier and joyful than he had been at the start of term. He had even begun to spend more time in the Slytherin common room and hanging out with his friends in Slytherin house. Everyone noted the change but no one questioned it. As far as they were concerned if Harry was happy then they were happy. Everyone remembered the horrible two months in his first year after the holidays had ended and they knew how dangerous it could be to have a moody Harry. Even Weasley didn't provoke Harry.

"Harry?" Remus said in shock and surprise when a mass of unruly dark hair poked its way around his door. It was halfway through December and about a week and a half before Christmas Break so Remus wasn't expecting to see the boy outside of class.

"I'm not interrupting anything am I Professor?" Harry asked as he stepped fully past the door.

"No, I just wasn't expecting to see you here." Remus assured with a warm and welcoming smile. "Please have a seat. Tea?"

"No thanks," Harry said as he sat down in a comfy chair in front of Remus' desk. "I just wanted to talk with you about something."

"What's that Harry?" Remus asked curiously.

"Well it's two things actually," Harry said a little nervously, trying to figure out how to go about bringing up the sensitive topics he wanted to talk about. "How are you recovering?" He stalled.

"I beg your pardon?" Remus asked a little nonplused. He recognized the stalling tact but the question still caught him off guard.

"The full moon," Harry clarified causing Remus' eyes to widen in shock. "It was last week and I was wondering how you were recovering."

"I'm… doing well but how did you know?" Remus asked when he had managed to find his voice.

"Minerva told me when she notified me of her decision to hire you." Harry said as if it should've been obvious.

"I didn't think the Headmistress needed to run her decisions by the students," Remus said a little angry at the thought that Minerva had so blatantly disrespected his privacy like that.

"As the schools owner I had to sign my approval to hire you," Harry explained a little hesitantly. He could feel Remus' anger but he knew where it was directed and why he felt it but Harry somewhat confused as to why no one had informed the wolf of his status earlier. "I'm surprised Minerva didn't tell you."

"You… You are the owner of Hogwarts?" Remus asked in stunned amazement. Harry was the last person he would've thought of to be the owner of Hogwarts.

"Yeah," Harry said with some mild annoyance. "This isn't what I wanted to talk about though and I'm sorry for shocking you, I thought Minerva would've told you."

"She should have," Remus agreed. "However she can have a rather nasty mischievous streak some times and it is just like her to hide something like this just so she can watch the shock play on people's faces." Remus chuckled and shook his head at his former teacher. "So what _did_ you want to talk with me about?"

"Well," Harry said, once again nervous. "I wanted to ask you about Sirius Black."

"Oh," Remus said as he fought to keep the pain off his face and not being very successful. Not that it would've mattered. Harry could feel the anger and hatred that was directed towards Black. It was almost as strong as Severus' feelings for the man but for different reasons. Harry also sensed a deep well of betrayal. "What did you want to know?"

"Well you knew him right?" Harry asked hesitantly, not wanting to upset the wolf further but wanting answers at the same time.

"I thought I did yes," Remus answered in a surprisingly neutral voice. "There was a time when he, your father, and I were quite close."

"You know what happened on Halloween right?" Harry was growing slightly more confident now that it seemed Remus wasn't going to just shut him down. "How Black got into the castle despite the wards barring anyone who was a threat to the students and faculty from the castle? And how he went after Gryffindor tower instead of the Slytherin dungeons where I likely would have been? Don't you think it a little odd that, that happened?"

"It is odd yes," Remus agreed with a calculating look. "But Black is crafty and knows about several secret passages in and out of the castle and his time in Azkaban likely confused him and he probably thought you'd be in Gryffindor like your parents. Even I thought you'd be in Gryffindor." Remus was clearly trying to remain in denial but Harry wouldn't let him.

"I can understand that but the wards extend to the secret passages so they would've refused him entry if he had intent to harm the residents of the castle." Harry explained with a shake of his head. "And what about what the Fat Lady said about the rat?"

"There is only one rat that he could have possibly been thinking of but she must've been mistaken," Remus said in an oddly stiff tone. "Black himself killed that rat the night he betrayed your parents."

"What if he didn't?" Harry questioned. "What if he didn't betray or kill anyone?" Remus opened his mouth to respond but Harry continued before he could. "I checked the Ministry records Professor. Black never received a trial, not even a hearing. He went straight to Azkaban on the assumption he was guilty." That wasn't entirely the full truth. Harry had indeed checked the Ministry records and found no trace of a trial for Sirius Black. However, he hadn't gone to the Ministry to do so. The library in Rowena's tower was truly a work of wonder. It collected _all_ knowledge, which included public and none public records of Ministry processes, hearings, and trials. Harry hadn't even been looking for the records when he had gone to the library looking for law books.

"Harry," Remus started gently, though he was shocked. He had no idea that Sirius hadn't received a trial. Harry once again interrupted though before he could try and enforce his denial.

"I know he was a really close friend of my father's but that's just it isn't it?"

"What'd you mean?" Remus asked nervously, not particularly liking the way Harry was pulling him rather ruthlessly out of the denial he had fallen prey to since Halloween.

"Everyone knew he was really close to my father," Harry clarified a little eagerly. "The other teachers don't know but I've heard them going on about how close Sirius and James were during school. Everyone knew they were close. What if my parents chose someone else, another, less thought of friend, in the belief that it would keep them safer? What if it was that person who betrayed them and not Black?"

He was trying so hard to deny it, so _hard!_ He didn't want what Harry was saying to be true because if it was… it meant he had condemned one of his closest friends for close to thirteen years. It was one thing for him to have doubts, he could silence and ignore those, but for Harry, a second and truly unbiased party, to voice such things? It meant he couldn't deny it like he wanted. Harry had a big heart, anyone could see that but he was unattached from the situation too. Yes he knew what Black had supposedly done but other than a possible threat against his life Harry had no personal stake in the situation which allowed him to look at things more clearly.

"What you're suggesting is entirely possible," Remus said haltingly after a few minutes of silence. "However, we will likely never know the truth."

"Those were my thoughts too," Harry said with a sad sigh, though he was glad that he had gotten someone else to see his point of view. "Well I will leave you to your grading then Professor."

Harry got up and went to the door only to pause with his hand on the handle. A nagging voice in the back of his head had reminded him of the other thing he wanted to speak to Remus about. He had forgotten during his conversation with the werewolf. He was very hesitant to even so much as think about the topic. Harry had no idea how either of them would react and he didn't want his head bitten off but he cared, even for the man behind him. They barely knew each other but Remus was a good and kind hearted man and easy to get along with. He didn't want to be seen as meddling though.

"Harry?" Remus said pulling said boy out of his silent tug of war.

"Look," Harry said not even turning away from the door to look at the wolf. "I'm not saying any of this but he cares for you as much as you do for him, he's just suppressed it for so long that he can't feel it anymore. But I can, just like I can feel your feelings for him. Be persistent but don't badger him. I don't know what happened to force you to apart but the feelings still exist and as long as they exist then there's a chance. Don't push him and again I didn't say anything."

With that Harry fled the room, leaving a flabbergasted Remus sitting behind his desk to stare at the space where Harry had been seconds before.

–Scene Break–

Snow was falling over the darkened grounds of Hogwarts. The holidays had arrived but it was well past curfew and Harry should've long since been sleeping but he couldn't sleep. Nothing in particular had kept him awake; he just couldn't get his brain to shut up enough so he could go to sleep. So, instead of simply lying in bed staring at the canopy, he had decided to go for a walk. Strangely enough, a walk through the castle hadn't done the trick like it usually did. He had been in the middle of returning to his tower and finding something to occupy him until he either passed out or the new day started, either one, when he was forced to pause in front of the doors leading to the grounds. They were still sealed shut but he felt something tugging at him. It wasn't an insistent pull, more like a nagging feeling that he should be out on the grounds for some reason. He had hesitated briefly but ever since his epiphany on Halloween Harry had been trusting himself more and more and he wasn't about to back down now.

Thus were his reasons for silently slipping through the doors on padded and furry paws. He was thankful for the lack of moon tonight as it would aide in keeping him hidden despite the fact that he was a black panther walking on snow. Oddly enough the snow helped too. It cascaded lazily over the grounds and clung to his fur, helping his inky black form to blend in with the surroundings and to conceal his tracks. Harry followed the pull that had been tugging at him towards the gates.

_If it takes me beyond the boundaries I'm not going,_ Harry thought firmly to himself. New self confidence or no he wasn't _stupid_. He wasn't about to leave the safety the blood wards provided.

As it turned out, the pull wasn't taking him to the gates at all, just past them is all. It led him towards the eastern side of the castle, well within the wards. He stopped on a blank stretch of grounds. He was halfway in between the castle and the boundary line and there was nothing there; just a snowy landscape. Yet the pull had led him here, to this spot. Confused, Harry took in great whiffs of the air. Beneath vast scent of the white fluffy powder he was covered in, Harry caught the scent of something else. He took another, deeper (if it were possible) breath. He smelled pain, despair, weariness, and a strong but fading scent of determination.

A little more than concerned, Harry followed the scents until they lead his nose downward and a little to his side. He saw nothing but snow there and his heart skipped a beat when he realized that whatever the source of the pulling sensation was, it was buried in the snow. Very quickly but with great care, Harry dug at the snow. He dug down a good foot and a half before he came across something that was neither snow nor grass. It was fur. Harry dug a little further until he revealed an entire paw covered in wet black fur. He pushed more snow aside and came up short when he saw that it was the same black dog that the wards had brought his attention to at the start of term. What startled him more though, was that he could smell a faint whiff of magic about the dog; _wizarding_ magic. Harry had been around both magical creatures and wizards long enough to distinguish between the natural and wild magic of the creatures and the controlled precision of human wizards and witches.

Harry narrowed his eyes in thought. It was clear to him that this dog was not a dog at all but an animagus. This of course led him to the realization of why the wards had alerted him that first time and to how the animagus had come to be on the grounds tonight without his notice. Harry had essentially written the dog, animagus, off as entirely irrelevant and harmless when the wards had brought his attention to it. Another thought that crossed his mind as he stared at the dog was that he had a sneaking suspicion as to who this animagus was and that led to a warring battle of thoughts and emotions. It was cut short though when the dog let out a rattling wheeze.

Making up his mind, Harry laid down next to the dog and attempted to move it onto his back. He wasn't about to let the man freeze to death, not when he might be innocent. He wasn't about to shift back into a human either, not out in the open for all to see, which is why he was attempting to put the dog on his back. It was very difficult and demanded all of his ingenuity and flexibility but he eventually managed to get the dog onto his back and himself on his feet. As he trudged his way back towards the castle Harry noticed that the dog was deathly still aside from the very occasion breaths it would take.

_Not good,_ Harry thought in worry.

After a moment of thought Harry came up with an idea and gave a gentle yet insistent tugging on his bond with Fawkes. Though he had been forced into an early burning day in July, the firebird had regained his feathers and much of his size since then, for which Harry was grateful when the bird burst into existence above him. Fawkes chirped at him in concern and confusion. Harry responded with a series of growls and chirps of his own, though the chirps sounded more like snaps considering he was a feline and not an avian. Fawkes listened to his explanation and seemed to accept his nobility and glided down to rest on the back of the dog and started radiating heat.

Harry sent a burst of gratitude across their bond and resumed walking back to the castle. They would've made a strange sight indeed to anyone that would've been watching but thankfully Harry had a way with the wards and was able to shield their presence as he entered the castle and made his way over to a secret passage that only he and a select few could access. He hesitated briefly, not sure where he would take the animagus, but then decided that the best place would be Godric's rooms. Only Draco, Hermione, Neville, and himself knew where the rooms were located. Since they had a competent teacher in DADA this year they had no real pressing need of the knowledge contained within Godric's library so Harry didn't think that any of his friends would wander up there any time soon but he would seal the rooms anyways to ensure everyone's safety. Hey, he could be wrong after all.

When Harry reached Godric's rooms he went over to the fireplace, where a roaring fire sprung up, and did his best to gently lay the animagus, who was now shivering but breathing better, directly in front of the hearth. Fawkes flew over to the back of one of the burgundy chairs and watched. When Harry was relieved of his burden, he went over to sit in the chair Fawkes was perched on and watched along with the phoenix, wand at the ready. After a mental thought to the wards to seal these rooms to any but him, Harry settled in to wait.

Unfortunately, he was in for a very long wait. The hours slipped past. It had been right around midnight when Harry had found the animagus and just before one when he finally managed to get back to Hogwarts and Godric's rooms. Given the late hour and the physical exertion he had done in getting the dog up there, it wasn't surprising that Harry had dozed off. He must've retained some sort of awareness though for his grip on his wand never faltered. The presence of Fawkes above his head likely aided in allowing Harry to drift slightly, knowing that the bird would allow no harm to come to him.

It wasn't until eight in the morning the next day that Harry was jerked from his dozing stupor by a harsh, rasping cough. After a moment of panic, Harry calmed and focused his gaze on the source of the noise that had woken him. There, on the floor in front of the still blazing fire, was a man in prison garb that looked extremely thin. His shoulder length hair was tattered and greasy. His skin was pasty and pale, making him almost look like a ghost. The man coughed again and Harry suspected that the man had pneumonia.

_Probably hypothermia as well,_ Harry thought as he gloated privately for being right that the dog was an animagus. _This explains how he kept slipping past the dementors too._ The man stirred and shifted onto his back. His eyes fluttered open and Harry saw a look of haunted confusion in those dull blue eyes.

"Welcome back to the land of the living Black," Harry said in a neutral tone. Neutral or not it still startled Black immensely. The man jerked so violently that he almost ended up in the fire that he had been laying next to. He turned violently to look in Harry's direction. He lifted an empty hand and Harry suspected that it was a reflex from the days when he had wand and participated in the first war against Voldemort.

"Who…" Black started to ask but was interrupted by a violent coughing fit. "Who are you?"

"The person who just saved your life," Harry said as he remained seated and kept his wand concealed slightly. He didn't want to appear as a threat but wasn't about to be lax either, though he didn't think Black as much of a threat since he didn't even have a wand; at least that Harry could see.

"Must be a bloody Slytherin," Black mumbled to himself not knowing that Harry could hear him clear as day.

"Yes I was sorted into Slytherin," Harry said with a smirk, shocking the man who thought he hadn't heard. "However I'm probably not the kind of Slytherin you're used to dealing with."

Black snorted. "All Slytherin's are the same. Sneaky and Dark."

"Would you say the same of your godson if he were in Slytherin?" Harry inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"What'd you know of Harry?" Black suddenly demanded with a frenzied look in his eye.

"I should say I know quite a lot about him, considering I _am_ Harry," Harry said with a mild chuckle.

"Y… You… You're… Harry?" Black said haltingly as he looked at Harry very closely.

"Yes," Harry said with a small nod. He didn't blame the man for not recognizing him right away. He looked very different from how the man probably would've imagined him. If the man had escaped during Harry's first year at Hogwarts then Harry probably would've looked spot on to how Black had imagined. Unruly black hair and glasses like his father with his mother's eyes and the scar on his forehead. He still had the scar but it was hidden by said unruly black hair but he didn't have the glasses anymore and his once emerald green eyes were now emerald and silver because of when he had been blind and the wards had took it upon themselves to act as his eyes.

"How… how are you Harry?" Black asked both desperately and suspiciously. He had spent the last thirteen years clinging to the little thoughts of Harry that the dementors didn't devour and he desperately wanted to see his godson. When he had escaped he had made his way to Surry in the hopes that he would get a glimpse of Harry living with his relatives but he hadn't seen him. He spent days watching Number 4 on Privet Drive but Harry was nowhere to be seen.

"Much has changed over the past two and a half years and I am likely not the Harry you expected," Harry explained gently, not wanting to set the man off. "Nonetheless, I am Harry Potter."

Black stared at Harry in silence for the longest time as he attempted to find recognizable features in Harry. In an attempt to assist the mentally unstable man Harry shifted his head slightly so his bangs revealed his scar, the one identifying feature that would likely always mark him. That sparked recognition in the man and his eyes widened in shock and happiness.

"Harry!" Black yelled in joy and he made to rush at Harry. The instant he moved though Harry's wand shot up and pointed straight at him making the man freeze in shock.

"I may have my doubts about whether or not you betrayed my parents Black but I'm far from stupid." Harry said, still in a neutral voice but the warning was clear nonetheless. "And you're lucky that I discovered you last night and that it was _me_ that had found you. Otherwise you probably would have frozen or been caught and kissed." Black blanched at the thought of the Dementor's Kiss. Both of their attention was diverted when Fawkes chirped a small warning at Harry. Keeping his wand trained on the man before him Harry checked the watch on his left wrist and saw that it was just past eight thirty. "Unfortunately I don't have time to hear you out at the moment. I must go down to the Great Hall for breakfast or people will wonder where I am."

"The Great Hall?" Black questioned in shock. "We're at Hogwarts? I've never seen this room before."

"Yes we're at Hogwarts and you wouldn't have been able to access this room while you were a student," Harry explained patiently as he stood up. Fawkes hopped to his shoulder and nibbled affectionately on Harry's ear much in the way Hedwig usually did when Harry visited with his owl. "Now, you will not be able to leave these rooms and you only have access to a bedroom and a bathroom. Everything else is off limits. I suggest that you clean yourself up and rest. From that cough it sounds like you have pneumonia and you are no doubt still suffering from hypothermia from being buried in the snow for god knows how long. I do not have any proper clothing that you could wear but if you so decide I will have an elf clean up those rags so you can feel marginally less like an abused chew toy," Harry couldn't help but smirk at the subtle pun he made without intending to. Even Black huffed a laugh at that. "Again I suggest that you rest. I will send an elf up with some potions to help since I can't take you to Madam Pomfrey at the moment. I probably won't be back until later tonight. Be nice to my elves Black or I'll hand you over myself." With that last threat Harry left to go down to breakfast, ensuring that the wards kept every door but the bedrooms and bathrooms sealed.

"Nif," Harry called as he turned towards the stairs.

"Yes Master Harry?" The polite and proper elf said when it popped into existence at the top of the stairs next to Harry.

"If the man inside these rooms decides to take a shower or bath clean his clothing for him so he can have something clean to wear when he is done," Harry instructed. "Bring him a proper meal tailored for someone with pneumonia and hypothermia. Do your best to stay out of sight though, I don't want any altercations and he is slightly unstable at the moment. Make sure he doesn't pass out and drown himself as well, should he choose to take a bath that is. And no one is to know that he is in the castle unless I specifically tell you to tell someone. Understand?" Harry questioned to emphasize the seriousness of the situation.

"Yes Master Harry," Nif said with a bow before popping away to do as ordered.

Satisfied that everything was under control, Harry made his way down the stairs. In an attempt to keep up appearances Harry came out of the secret passages at the base of his tower to make it look like he was just coming down. He had checked the wards and no one had gone into his tower yet to check on him but he didn't want to risk any suspicion at the moment. Draco and the others knew of his doubts about Black being the one to have betrayed his parents but it was one thing to talk about it and another to actually harbor the man and he didn't think any of them would understand his reasoning behind taking in the convict. He wanted answers to the confliction within his brain about Black and what really happened on that Halloween night so long ago and he had an opportunity to get them. He didn't like keeping secrets from his friends but this wasn't something he was about to back down on.

Harry paused momentarily outside the Great Hall to cast a couple cleaning charms over himself and his clothing in an attempt to appear like he hadn't been wearing the same clothes he was yesterday. That was when he realized that he was wearing the pajamas that he had slipped into for bed before giving up on sleep and going for a walk as Shadow.

"Damn it," Harry swore quietly as he ducked into a shadowed alcove. He pulled his shirt away from his body and poked it with his wand while whispering a few words. His shirt shimmered briefly before it transformed into a mildly thick, navy blue sweater that was surprisingly soft. He did the same thing with his pants but rather than changing them entirely, Harry just turned them black and made them a little thicker since it was drafty and they were thin. Now the only problem that remained was his lack of footwear. He was wearing socks but since he had gone out as Shadow, he saw no point in putting on his boots. With a small huff in annoyance, Harry decided to simply try summoning his boots from his tower. He had yet to master the fourth year spell, despite his success with other, more advanced spells, but he was hoping that he could get it to work. Thankfully it did and he happily snatched his boots out of the air and quickly placed them on his feet. He then cast a small warming charm over his pants before leaving the alcove and going into the Great Hall.

"There you are!" Hermione exclaimed with a smile when she noticed Harry approaching where she, Draco, and Neville were sitting eating breakfast. "We were just about to send out a search party."

"I'm flattered that you think me so important," Harry jested with a chuckle. "Nah, I just decided to sleep in is all."

"Given that we don't have any classes today I think we can forgive you," Neville joked with a smile. As Harry sat down he couldn't help but marvel at how much progress Neville had made towards his own self confidence ever since the three of them had rescued the boy from Lockhart. He had even gotten better at performing spells both in and out of class.

"So what're your plans for the day?" Draco asked innocently as he munched on a piece of toast. Harry had hesitated briefly but no one particularly noticed.

"I was planning on speaking with the Headmistress about something and then I was thinking about doing some brewing down in the Chamber," Harry said in all honesty. He did want to speak with Minerva about some ideas he had and he did plan on brewing a few potions for Black so he didn't die before he could get answers.

"Oooo can I come with you?" Hermione said eagerly, practically bouncing in her seat. "I've wanting to see the Chamber for a while now, especially when you consider the rumors about it."

"Yes you can come with," Harry said as he pulled a face at the rumors. "But you can't touch anything. Even I haven't explored everywhere and everything down there and I don't know if there's anything dangerous."

"Care if the rest of us tag along?" Draco drawled with an amused smile. Harry could tell that the other boy wanted to see the chamber the founder of his house left behind almost more than Hermione wanted to see it.

"Yes you all can come with but the same stipulation applies." Harry said with an amused shake of his head. "I'll probably be done the Headmistress around lunch so we'll go down when we've finished lunch ok?"

All three of them readily agreed since none of them had anything better to do.

–Scene Break–

Sirius Black had remained in the half crouched state he had been in since Harry had pulled his wand. For the longest time he just stood there staring at the door Harry had left through. He had wanted to protest Harry leaving. It wasn't safe. He was the only one that knew Peter was alive, the only one. Remus had been so distraught over the death of James and Lily that he had believed along with everyone else that he, Sirius, was their secret keeper. Not that Sirius really blamed Remus for it. That had, after all, been the entire point of Sirius convincing his two best friends to use Peter as secret keeper instead of himself. That wasn't the point though. It wasn't safe for Harry to be out there, so near that treacherous rat!

Sirius wanted to bolt after Harry but he was struck stupid by that last threat and by Harry's over all demeanor. He was so entirely different from how Sirius had pictured his godson would be that he hadn't believed that it was really Harry but that scar could not be faked. Sirius had seen it clearly that night when he had begged Hagrid for the pup. Yes there were such things as Polyjuice Potion but the entire world thought him a mass murder that supported the Dark Lord, which he _wasn't_, so there wasn't any real reason for someone to impersonate Harry.

_He looks so much like James,_ Sirius thought with a jolt of sadness. _But where did he get the marbled eyes?_

The delicious smell of fresh cooked food wafted into Sirius' nostrils and brought him out of his stupor and chaotic thoughts. He looked over towards the source and saw a steaming bowl of soup a crystal clear glass of water and a plate of crackers sitting on the dining room table. His stomach growled loudly at the sight and smell. It had been far too long since he had had any proper meals and that soup smelled far too enticing for him to resist. He got up and managed to wobble over the table and made quick work of the good meal.

_Hogwarts always did have the best food,_ Sirius managed to think through the haze of his chaotic thoughts, though he wasn't entirely certain of where in Hogwarts was since he had never before seen these rooms.

He had been out of Azkaban for several months now and while he had managed to regain a little more sanity since then, he was still fairly unstable. As it was, he kept having flashes of being locked in his cell and the dementors feeding off of his thoughts. The cozy and bright surroundings of the rooms he was in helped a good deal to remind him that he was free once again. When he was finished with his meal, Sirius wandered down the hall that held a five doors. He tried the first one on his right but it remained stubbornly closed. Remembering Harry's words about how he only had access to a bedroom and a bathroom (which was an enormous feat for Sirius at the moment) Sirius figured that this room was off limits. He tried another door a little farther down and on the opposite side of the hall and found that it was open. Inside was a luscious yet simple bath. There was a shower stall to the left of the door, opposite a sink and mirror. Past the shower stall was a deep porcelain bathtub. Deciding to take Harry's advice, Sirius filled the tub with warm water, stripped down, and started to clean up his ragged appearance.

–Scene Break–

"Come in!" The slightly distracted voice of the Headmistress sounded a few seconds after Harry had knocked on her door.

"Good morning Headmistress, I'm not disturbing you am I?" Harry said as he stepped past the door. He felt a slight sense of déjà vu since he had said a similar greeting to Remus a week before the holidays had started.

"Good morning Harry," Minerva said with a welcoming smile. "No you're not disturbing me; I was just catching up on a little paperwork. What brings you to my office so early in the day and during the holidays?" She gestured for Harry to have a seat and he took it.

"I just wanted to talk to you about possibly making a few changes," Harry started tentatively. He wasn't sure how his ideas would be received since Hogwarts has been in somewhat of a rut for a few centuries.

"What kind of changes?" Minerva asked in both curiosity and apprehension.

"Well, I just got to thinking a few weeks ago," Harry said around his oddly dry mouth. "Hogwarts education is a little… stunted. Don't get me wrong, the students are learning what they need to learn, except for History of Magic, all they learn there is either how to take a nap or how to fight one." Minerva chuckled at that, she remembered all too well the powerful spell Binns' droning voice cast over the students, even before he entered the classroom.

"What did you have in mind Harry?" Minerva asked gently. She could sense the boy's slight nervousness at presenting his ideas and she didn't blame him. He wasn't the only one that thought that a few changes needed to be made towards the students' education. She wanted to make a few changes herself but she was being stonewalled by the Board of Governors, with the curious absence of Lucius Malfoy though. If Harry was backing her though the board wouldn't matter much anymore.

"Well for starters I think we should get a new History of Magic professor." Harry said slightly more confident at seeing and feeling the receptivity coming from Minerva. "I know Binns has been at Hogwarts for quite some time and he's essentially a free teacher but all he ever goes on about is the goblin wars and there is so much more to history than wars with the goblins, no matter that there were seventeen of them."

"I quite agree with you on that Harry," Minerva said with a smile. "I've been trying for years to convince that ghost to move on but he stubbornly remained and Albus kept preventing me from speaking with Binns several times for some reason. Did you have anything else in mind?"

"I was thinking of a Martial Arts and dueling class," Harry said with a grin at Minerva's last comment. "We have Defense yes but that subject has been strangely erratic when it comes to teachers. Remus has been the only decent one in the past two years but the students aren't really learning how to duel effectively. All we learn is spells, curses, counter curses, jinxes, and hexes. The students aren't being taught how to duel, which can be vital if they find themselves in dangerous situations. Martial Arts can capitalize on dueling. You never know when you might find yourself in a position without a wand or in a physical scuffle."

"I agree but what is Martial Arts exactly?" Minerva asked curiously. She had never heard of such a thing.

"I-w…" Harry faltered as he registered what Minerva had asked him. He stared blankly at her for several moments. It had never occurred to him that people in the wizarding world wouldn't know what Martial Arts was. Sure it wasn't a common topic in the muggle world but everyone knew what it was and Harry had never even paused to think that witches and wizards might not know. Not that this really mattered, it was just surprising. "Well I guess it's similar to dueling but without magic. It's a way to defend and fight when you don't have a wand or magic. I'm not sure if it's solely a muggle art but I'm sure that there's a wizard out there that would know it and could teach it to the students. Naturally the students would only be able to take the class so long as they have permission from their parents but I think it would be a good skill for them to learn."

"Hmmm…" Minerva hummed in thought as she fiddled with a quill she had been using before Harry came in. She had a feeling that Harry was thinking of doing a much larger overhaul than she had originally planned but if his other ideas were similar to these then she didn't particularly see any reason why they couldn't be put into place. Restrictions would have to be put in place, like Harry already suggested. The boy was smart and well reasoned. He knew how things worked and he saw how they could be but unlike others who had tried, Harry could actually bridge the gap between how they were and how they should be.

_He _is_ that bridge,_ Minerva thought suddenly before speaking aloud. "I'm not sure I understand what this Martial Arts actually is but I think it's worth looking into at least. Did you have any other ideas?"

Harry smiled eagerly and the two began discussing plans for Hogwarts reform.

–Scene Break–

As it turned out Harry had a great deal of plans and both him and Minerva spent a good three hours talking and making plans. Harry had wanted to implement a very base and legal Dark Arts program but Minerva was extremely reluctant to do so and had outright refused when Harry first suggested it. However, Harry won her over when he said that it would be for N.E.W.T. level students only and explained that if they were to coach the students about the Dark Arts and unveil the mystery that they presented then the students would take that area of magic much more seriously and be far less likely to start experimenting carelessly in the arts and risk the insanity that could accompany such foolishness. And really! They were the only magical institution that Harry was aware of that _didn't_ offer some sort of Dark Arts program.

After they had broken for lunch and Harry went to spend the rest of the day brewing and with his friends, the hours quickly began to slip by. Harry was having a difficult time focusing on brewing a rather simple potion designed to clear the lungs of fluid and mucus as his thoughts kept drifting to the picture of poetry besides him. Draco was just as fascinated with potions as Harry and Severus were but that wasn't what had Harry's thoughts drifting and his eyes lingering on the blond. No, Draco looked so beautiful as he gazed into the cauldron and stirred or added ingredients. It was so different from the way Severus, whom Harry had watched many times, brewed potions. It was when he was almost caught staring that Harry steadfastly kept his eyes on his own cauldron and refused to look anywhere else in an attempt to conceal his reddening cheeks.

Unbeknownst to him though, Hermione, Neville, _and_ Draco had caught him staring mere seconds before the normally confident and slightly outgoing boy turned away, redder than a cherry. Hermione raised an eyebrow. Neville's eyes widened minutely in shock and Hermione's soon joined his when Draco smiled very faintly before going back to his brewing. Being only thirteen none of them had really delved into anything like relationships just yet, particularly Neville who was still scarred by his encounter with Lockhart, but that didn't mean they couldn't recognize the signs. None of them deigned to comment on the situation though and merely went about doing what they had been in the middle of doing.

Neville's shock was slightly different from Hermione's though. After his encounter with Lockhart Neville hadn't really put much thought into things like relationships and intimacy. He wasn't necessarily opposed to such things, even between men, but the thought of those things had a tendency to bring up images of what almost had happened to him and what likely would have happened if Harry hadn't managed to get there before that disgusting and depraved man had gone too far in his molestation.

"I bet the Nargals would love it here," A dreamy sounding voice startled all four of the students who had been either studying or brewing.

Harry and Draco had jerked so violently at the unexpected voice that they ended up spilling their cauldrons over, allowing the two different potions to mix and then blow up rather spectacularly, though thankfully not harming anyone. Much to Harry's relief he had actually managed to finish and bottle the potion he needed before it tipped over but Draco would have to start all over again with his little experiment. Hermione had been in the process of dipping the quill she was using to take notes in ink when she jerked and the inky fluid spilled over both her notes as well the book Neville had been reading next to her.

After several colorful words from the two potion dabblers and Hermione bemoaning about her notes before vanishing the ink the quartet looked over to the door to see who had so unexpectedly disturbed them in a place only they and Severus knew about. A young blond girl, no older than a second year, was standing in the doorway. She had what looked to be radishes for earrings and she held a copy of _The_ _Quibbler _to her chest. She was also wearing a pair of ridiculous looking glasses that made her look like a deranged owl.

"It's Luna right?" Harry questioned, recognizing the girl from last year's sorting. He had seen her around but had never actively interacted with her.

"Hi Harry," Luna said as if they were the best of friends. "I do hope you managed to keep some of your potion, the sick puppy needs it."

"How did you get down here Luna?" Harry questioned in an attempt to divert _that_ line of conversation. He had no bloody clue how Luna knew about Black or that he was an animagus. He was just grateful that Luna had a reputation for speaking about crazy things and hoped that the others would just brush it off as her oddities. He was also very curious as to how the girl got into the chamber without tripping the wards.

"I followed the Wrackspurts of course," Luna said dreamily, as if it should've been obvious. "They love to float in a person's ear and make their brain go fuzzy. Your head appears to be full of them."

_Ok,_ Harry thought to himself as he attempted to fight off a blush. _This girl knows way more than she appears to._ He wasn't sure how but Harry knew to what exactly she had been referring to and that was his inability to devote his entire attention to his potion and constantly kept thinking of Draco.

"But how did you access the Chamber?" Draco said with a slightly annoyed scowl. He was apparently still upset about having his experiment ruined. "Only a Parselmouth can open it."

"The castle led me here," Luna said as she took off her strange glasses and looked around the room as if she had been in it before but was looking for something specific. "It was quite odd really. I was about to leave the tower and go looking for a Dabblerblimp when a doorway opened up next to the girls dormitory. That's when I noticed the Wrackspurts."

All eyes went to Harry.

"Don't look at me!" He said indignantly. "I knew the wards were sentient not that castle itself." It would explain why the stairs kept moving though.

Everyone turned their attention back to Luna. She appeared to have found what she was looking for and she went to sit over by Neville and started reading her copy of _The Quibbler_, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for her to do. Poor Neville looked greatly uncomfortable at her choice of seat but didn't know what to say so he just sat there for a few moments before looking at the others for help. Hermione, having shared a dorm with Luna for the past two years, was the only one that appeared unaffected by Luna's antics but she didn't know how to help Neville with his predicament. She had come to the conclusion that Luna would do what suited her no matter what others thought.

"Well," Harry said as he righted his cauldron and banished the remains of his potion. Despite the spell being a fourth year spell and the counter to the summoning charm, which Harry normally had difficulty with, Harry had mastered the banishing charm as Severus had coached him through it over the summer as they were almost constantly brewing and experimenting. "Not that it isn't a pleasure to meet you Luna but I am going to go change since I now have potion all over my robes, not to mention they're now singed."

"Same here," Draco said grumpily as he examined his robes which were in the same state as Harry's due to the mess Luna had caused.

"That's fine," Luna said dreamily, not looking up from her paper. "The puppy needs his meds so he can tell you about the rat that turned against the deer and doe."

Harry, who had been half way to the door with his back to the others, froze mid step. He jerked his head around to look at Luna from over his shoulder with narrowed and suspicious eyes but she never looked up from her paper and had even begun to hum a merry little tune. She knew. Harry was certain of it. He didn't know how but he was positive she knew far more of what was going on than anyone else did. Harry still had no idea who this rat was but he was certain that the deer and doe Luna had been referring to were his parents. It was the only conclusion that made sense when you took in the entirety of her enigmatic statement.

"What do you know of the rat Luna?" Harry inquired, still frozen and regarding her with calculating eyes.

"Hmmm," Luna hummed happily, _still_ not looking up from her paper. It was like she was holding a staring contest with the damn thing. "You will see." Was all she would say and despite her odd proclivity to speak of strange things no one had ever heard of it was probably the strangest thing she had ever said.

Harry gave her one last lingering and calculating look before he stalked from the room, much in the way Severus usually stalked around with his robes billowing out behind him angrily. He had just stepped out of the round Chamber door before Draco managed to catch up to him.

"Harry what was that all about?" The blond asked, slightly out of breath.

"I didn't want to upset anyone," Harry said reluctantly. He didn't want to hide anything in the first place but now he couldn't and the fact that it was Draco asking the questions would've made it that more difficult to try and keep it hidden. "At least not until I had answers."

"Answers to what?" Draco asked laying a hand on Harry's shoulder from where he stood at Harry's side.

"You know how I have my doubts about whether or not Sirius Black is guilty?" Harry asked as he unconsciously leaned into Draco's touch slightly. He continued when he saw Draco nod out of the corner of his eye. "Well I found him on the grounds last night in the form of a large black dog. He was buried in the snow and almost completely frozen."

Silence stretched between the two at that statement as Harry waited for Draco's response. As for Draco… well to say he was shocked would sound slightly ridiculous. Absurdly and utterly stunned into speechlessness would be a little more accurate. He actually had all of his thoughts wiped clean from his mind. It was like his brain had stopped functioning. His best and closest friend had come across a convicted murderer, who was apparently an animagus, and on Hogwarts grounds no less! And Harry had gone out, apparently alone, and found him buried in the snow.

"You brought him to the castle didn't you?" Draco said finally managing to get his voice to work again. He didn't mean for his voice to sound accusing but it ended up that way.

"He's sealed in Godric's rooms," Harry said bristling slightly at the accusation but trying to keep a level head, though he had yet to actually look at the blond. "He only has access to a bedroom and bathroom so don't worry about him having access to any of the knowledge contained there. I was going to wait until I got answers out of him before deciding what to do with him."

"Harry," Draco said as he moved to step in front of Harry to look him in the eyes. He was concerned but he knew his friend well and he knew that Harry would pull something like this unless he had a very good reason to. Still, he had to be the voice or reason just to make sure Harry didn't get hurt. The thought of him getting hurt caused bile to churn in Draco's stomach. "You realize that he could simply lie to you?"

"Please," Harry scoffed in teasing tones. "A Gryffindor couldn't lie to save their own hide, especially not to we cunning Slytherins." His efforts were rewarded when Draco snorted a laugh. "In all seriousness though, I'm beginning to think that he actually is innocent, especially with what Luna just said."

"Harry, Luna is crazy." Draco said simply.

"Crazy or not, think about what she said," Harry challenged gently so as to not upset the blond. "She said the sick puppy needs his meds and that's what I was doing. I was brewing a potion to clear the lungs to help with Black's pneumonia so he could give me answers. Then she mentioned how a rat betrayed a deer and a doe instead of the puppy. When you consider that Black is an animagus in the form of a dog, not necessarily a puppy but still, it's not that much of a leap to think she was referring to my parents and who really betrayed them."

Draco sighed as he turned his head away in though. "Alright," He said after a few moments of silence. "I'll give you that much but there is no way that I'm about to let you go and speak with a potential killer by yourself so when are you planning on going to talk with him?"

"Well I was planning on going after dinner but I was reconsidering since we have time now and dinner isn't for a few more hours yet." Harry said grinning slightly, happy that Draco wasn't throwing a fit over how reckless he had been.

"Very well," Draco said with a put upon sigh that only served to make Harry grin. "Let us be done with this business and put it to rest once and for all."

"Thank you Draco," Harry said, sounding remarkably like a child as he lurched forward and hugged Draco before tugging the blond down the corridors by the hand.

It was an innocent enough action but both boys blushed hotly at the tingling sensation that ran up both of their arms at the contact. Neither pulled away though, afraid that the other would notice their embarrassment. Harry led the way through the halls until they came to the door leading to Godric's rooms. They paused outside and Harry looked to Draco to make sure he was ok with going in but he noticed that Draco's robes were still soaked with the potion he had been working on.

"Sorry," Harry said as he drew his wand and cast a cleaning charm over Draco's clothes and then directing the same spell at his own clothing. "I should've let you go change first."

"It's alright," Draco said as he glanced down at his clothes before smiling in thanks at Harry. "I had actually forgotten about it."

"Well when we're done with this you can go and perfect your image," Harry teased with smirk. "We can't very well have other people seeing your clothes singed as they are; though to an escapee you look like a prince."

"Of course I do," Draco said haughtily with his nose in the air. "A Malfoy would look like no less."

"Come on, your highness," Harry laughed as he opened the door.

"Your highness," Draco echoed with a thoughtful look as he followed Harry into the rooms. "I do like the sound of that."

"Prat," Harry mumbled as he looked around the rooms for Black. He turned towards the dining room when he heard a wet hacking sound and saw the man almost inhaling a bowl of soup. "Here," He said neutrally as he placed the potion vial on the table startling the man before walking to the other end, keeping his wand in his hand all the while. Draco had his wand in hand as well as he took a seat next to Harry.

"I thought you weren't going to be back until tonight?" Black said through another bout coughing. He glanced distrustfully at the vial of lime green potion.

"I wasn't but I found myself with some spare time," Harry said before gesturing at the vial. "Take it. It will clear your lungs and alleviate your cough for a few hours. It is the best I could do without stealing potions from Madam Pomfrey, who would've had my head if I had done such a thing." Black barked a laugh at that, which caused Harry and Draco to twitch defensively but Black didn't seem to notice as he delved into a coughing fit. When he settled down Black took the vial, gave it a doubtful glance, before uncorking it and downing it in one swig. When it was gone he looked at the vial before looking at Harry.

"I don't think I've ever had a potion that tasted like grapes before. You said you brewed that?" Black said in astonishment, not only at the fact that the potion had tasted good but also at that he could breathe easier as well. He wasn't the only one to look at Harry curiously either. Draco, though he hid it very well, looked at Harry in no small amount of surprise.

"Yes," Harry said with a pleased smirk on his face. That potion had come out of one of Salazar's books. It wasn't used any more today as there were spells to help clear the lungs but it had been very popular during the founders time. It hadn't always been tasty though. Harry had discovered a very old potions book in Rowena's tower that went back far beyond the founders' time. It had detailed ways to alter the taste of potions so they didn't taste so horrid. There were some, like Polyjuice, that couldn't be altered without the potion itself being changed but most medical potions could have their taste improved. Sadly the knowledge had fallen out of practice before Salazar was even born.

"You have your mother's brains then," Black said with a pained look on his face. "She was the brightest witch at Hogwarts. Don't think I ever knew a single person that could match her wits."

"Since you brought it up," Harry said with a raised eyebrow at the sudden compliment and shift in conversation. "Perhaps you should explain the truth of the night they died."

"It's my fault," Black said pitifully as he put his head in his hands and gripped his hair. "I listened to Dumbledore's advice and convinced your father to use Peter instead of me. Everyone knew James and I were close. We thought that with Peter, they would be safer but we didn't know! Peter was a Death Eater! He betrayed us!" Black slammed his fists down on the table in a sudden rage.

"Calm yourself Black," Harry ordered in a commanding tone. Surprisingly the man listened and took several breaths in an attempt to calm himself. Harry glanced at Draco with a raised eyebrow but the blond had his attention focused on the escaped prisoner. "If this Peter is the one who betrayed my parents then why have you been trying to get into the castle?"

"Because he's here! Peter's here!" Black said sounding desperate.

"Aside from yourself," Harry said as he started to wonder if he was wrong about Black and if the man was entirely deranged. "The only people in the castle are those that belong in the castle."

"No!" Black demanded stubbornly. "He's here! I saw him in the paper with the Weasley family in Egypt. For the past thirteen years he's been hiding, posing as a pet rat! We were all animagus and I've seen him transform a thousand times! I'd recognize him even I were blindfolded!"

"Are you talking about the rat that belongs to Weasley? The one that Hermione's new cat has been terrorizing all year?" Draco asked suddenly as he remembered a particularly heated argument between Weasley and Hermione when her new Kneazle cat had nearly bit the rat's head off.

"Yes!" Black said ecstatically, apparently very glad that someone was listening to him finally. "I had encountered the cat a few days after you all arrived at Hogwarts. I asked him for his help in catching Peter."

Harry wasn't listening though. He had already delved into the wards while berating himself a thousand times over. He should've seen it! Should've realized! Everyone had been speaking about a rat he just hadn't taken them literally. He ordered the wards to scour the entire castle and grounds, searching for the signature of an animagi. Black and himself immediately popped up on the radar but he ignored them since he already knew they were animagi. Minerva popped up in the Headmistresses office but again ignored it. A blip showed up in the dungeons and Harry looked deeper to get a clearer image and was surprised to see that the wards were showing him Severus. Harry had no idea the man was an animagus. Another blip popped up before Harry could contemplate that any further. Focusing on the new point Harry saw a rat being chased by Hermione's Kneazle Crookshanks, who, in turn, was being chased by Weasley.

_Contain the rat,_ Harry ordered. The wards obeyed instantly and the rat was swept up in a reddish purple (the color of the wards themselves) bubble that was slightly transparent. It rose into the air keeping the rat out of the reach of both boy and cat.

"Your story proves true," Harry said startling both Draco and Black as he stood up. He had been silent for several minutes so they hadn't expected his sudden outburst. "You will have your freedom by nightfall. Until then you will remain here."

Black sat there gaping and looking remarkably like a fish as Harry swept from the room, gesturing for Draco to follow. The two quickly made their way through the halls until they reached the Headmistress' office where the bubble, Weasley, and Crookshanks. Weasley looked confused and dumbfounded all at once while Crookshanks merely looked eager for the possible meal that was hanging just out of his reach. Ignoring the two for the moment, Harry gestured the statue aside and climbed the moving staircase, the bubble and Draco following behind him.

"Harry!" Minerva said in shock when Harry waltzed into her office without knocking. "What's wrong?"

"I've discovered a wolf in rats clothing Headmistress," Harry said gesturing for the bubble to float over to Minerva. "I'm sure that if you were to inspect this pest that it would turn out to be an animagus. You may inspect him through the bubble. The wards will not interfere with your evaluations."

"You're barmy! Scabbers is a rat, not an animagus!" The grating and annoying voice of Weasley sounded behind them but Harry merely ignored the fool.

"What makes you think that this is an animagus Harry?" Minerva asked as she started examining the now scared looking rat in the bubble.

"I had a suspicion about how Black was getting on the grounds undetected," Harry half lied, ignoring the snort that came from Draco. He wasn't about to admit to everyone that he had spoken with the convict, not yet anyway. "I had the wards search the castle and grounds for animagi."

"An intriguing thought," A silky smooth voice said causing Harry's heart rate to pick up slightly as he turned to face his adoptive parent. "Care to share what sparked this idea?"

"Why should I set myself up for having my head bit off?" Harry countered with a blank face. He knew that if he lied it would only make the situation worse but that didn't mean he wanted to tell Severus and then have the man lay into him for his actions.

"Harry," Severus said, a clear warning that he should spill his guts.

"Fine," Harry all but spat, not liking being forced into a conversation that was no doubt going to end up a shouting match. "I found Black buried in the snow last night, brought him to the castle where I sealed him in a set of rooms so he could thaw out before I questioned him about the happenings of the night my parents died."

"And just what were you doing out on the grounds in the middle of the night with a killer on the loose?" Severus purred dangerously.

"I was not aimlessly wandering the grounds if that is what you're implying," Harry bit back. "I was wandering the castle since I couldn't sleep. I was on my way back to my rooms when I felt myself being pulled out onto the grounds."

"What do you mean pulled?" Draco asked curiously, this being the first time he heard the precise incidences that led to Harry discovering Black on the grounds.

"It wasn't physically," Harry tried to explain as he shifted, slightly uncomfortable at the restrained fury that shone in Severus' eyes. It didn't help that he was actually feeling that fury mixed with an almost paralyzing fear. "I just felt this insistent tugging that led me to Black."

"And you found this sufficient reason to go gallivanting out into a snowstorm, not knowing where this mysterious pulling was taking you?" Severus glowered, his onyx eyes boring into Harry with an intense fire.

Harry's jaw set in anger and he raised his chin defiantly, staring directly into those burning black eyes. A feral growl rumbled deep in his throat. Orpheus shifted uncomfortably under Harry's skin but remained quiet. Harry felt his own anger stirring. Like the panther he was, his anger seemed to open its feline eyes and stretched eagerly before preparing to leap at its prey. With his anger, awoke his magic. He could feel it crawling along his skin and hear it crackling in the air. Three years they had known each other now and still he was doubted! Despite the fact that he had continually proved himself strong and capable, he was _still_ doubted. His friends likely would have heard him out at least and listened to his reasoning's before passing judgment, just like Draco had done, but for some reason the adults in his life continued to doubt him. _No more_, He declared silently to himself as he drew himself up to his full height and glared threateningly at Severus.

"Yesss," He hissed, almost slipping into Parseltongue. Severus visibly twitched at the sudden noise but Harry disregarded it. "I went out to investigate what was calling to me. I did so knowing that there was a potential threat towards my life but I did so knowing that I was well protected, by the wards, my own skills in magic, and the fact that no one outside of a select few would recognize me."

"That does not excuse your recklessness!" Severus snapped, unwilling to back down despite the minute fear he could feel creeping up inside him.

"Nor does it excuse your blindness towards a potential and hidden threat against my life!" Harry roared in indignation. "You are so blinded by your hatred for Black that you refused to acknowledge what is standing right in front of your face!"

"Do not speak of what you do not know!" Severus whispered dangerously.

"You forget Ssssseverussss," Harry said once again sounding eerily similar to a snake causing the man before him to flinch and blanch with memories of the Dark Lord hissing in such a manner before he was subjected to a bout of the cruciatus. Harry started stalking towards Severus causing the man to back away in a fear that he had not felt in a long time. Harry's silver and green eyes glowed menacingly and made him look like an enraged demon. "That I can feel what you feel. I do not know why but I know you loath Black more than you do the Dark Lord. That is why I saw fit not to speak of these things with you because I knew you would not listen to any of my doubts and out of _respect_ for yourself." Harry glared with narrowed eyes at the man he had backed into a wall. "I guess it was too much to hope for that _respect _to be returned."

"Harry," Draco's soft voice caressed Harry's senses in a way it had never done before and the hand that was placed on his shoulder caused a tingling sensation to run through Harry's entire body when Draco's thumb innocently laid against the skin of his neck. Harry felt his anger ebb and be lulled back to sleep at the touch. His magic slowly calmed down and for some reason delighted in playfully licking at Draco's thumb, causing a strange, though not unpleasant, shudder to run down both of their spines.

"That rat is a Death Eater Headmistress," Harry said, much calmer than he had been moments before, though he still glared the man before him. "I assume you can handle the situation appropriately. Especially since a man's innocence is on the line."

Not waiting for a response from any of the stunned spectators in the room, Harry left with Draco close at his side.

–Scene Break–

Sirius Black was a little more than confused. He was downright baffled. First he wakes up after collapsing in the snow to find himself in rather warm and nicely lavished quarters with Harry, his godson and the boy he had not stopped thinking about for thirteen years, sitting in the room with him. Instead of attacking Sirius, as expected since Harry probably believed that Sirius betrayed his parents, Harry had been unbelievably levelheaded and willing to hear Sirius out about his side of the story, though he remained extremely cautious as well in case he was wrong. This was unlike the Harry he had expected to encounter but not one he would mind putting up with. Then there was this most recent encounter. Harry had returned sooner than expected and with someone else as well. At first Sirius hadn't taken much stalk of Harry's companion but when Harry had spaced out inexplicably and the blond boy had started speaking, Sirius knew that the boy was a Malfoy. There was no mistaking that hair and those features. The boy looked very similar to his father, Lucius. This of course scared Sirius greatly. He knew that Lucius Malfoy was a Death Eater and he was scared that Harry would get hurt by associating with his son.

Before Sirius could voice his concerns though, Harry had rather unexpectedly declared that his story was true and that he would have his freedom by nightfall before sweeping from the room. Such an entirely unexpected declaration had Sirius gaping like a fish long after his godson had left the room with the Malfoy boy. It was just too bizarre. Sirius had given the boy no more proof than his words and yet Harry had declared him innocent. In his stunned stupor, Sirius had attempted to go after Harry, after several minutes of gaping like a fish of course, but he found that the door was still sealed to him and no matter what he did, which was little, considering he didn't have a wand, the door simply would not budge. Sighing in frustration at being trapped and his confusion, Sirius retreated to the bedroom he had claimed after his long bath earlier, figuring he might as well get some more rest since he was sick and weak still. He was grateful for Harry's potion though. He hadn't breathed this easily in a long time.

–Scene Break–

Severus stared blankly at the door Harry had left through as he attempted to regain his composure, his only comfort being that Harry had not reacted the way he had at the start of summer before he killed Lucius. It was a cold comfort though because he knew he had been stupid. Again! He couldn't help it though. He cared for the brat and that made him extremely uncomfortable. He had suppressed his feelings for such a long time that he was awkward when he felt them creeping up once again. Severus didn't know how to act around someone he cared about let alone someone he viewed as a son and the fact that it was the son of _Potter_ that he viewed as his own did not help matters. With each step he took Severus feared he would screw things up and it was situations like this that were making him think that he _was_ screwing up and he didn't know how to cope with that. Harry was right though. He had been blinded by his hatred for Black for what the mutt had pulled back in their school days. Oh, he saw the signs that pointed to Black possibly being innocent but because of his hatred for the man he had neglected to consider the possibility that if Black was innocent than that meant someone else had betrayed the Potter's and that that person was likely very much alive and could very well be after Harry's hide.

Upon realizing that, Severus felt his resolve firm. He would do better! No matter his hatred for all things Black, he would not let it blind him any longer and he would not let it interfere with his and Harry's relationship.

"Is the rat an animagus?" Severus finally asked as he glided over to where Minerva stood, still staring in shock at the scene that had just transpired before her eyes.

"Yes," Minerva whispered as she seemed to come back to herself. She cleared her throat and spoke more firmly, turning her gaze to Severus. "Yes it is. I'm reluctant to force him to change though. I have no idea if this bubble will expand with him or hold firm and squish him halfway between rat and man."

As if the wards had been listening and understood their plight, the reddish purple bubble popped and the rat dropped to the floor with a soft plunk. After a few moments of apparent dazedness, the rat got to its feet and quickly tried to scamper away. Severus reacted quickly though and snapped off the spell that would reverse the animagus transformation. Just as the rat was leaping out the door, Severus' spell made contact and seconds later, a short, fat, and balding man flopped down onto the floor in a great heap. Severus snapped off another spell and the man was bound in ropes. Before he could think on the man any more he turned towards Minerva when she sucked in a shocked breath.

"Peter Pettigrew!" She hissed in shock.

–Scene Break–

When he left the Headmistress' office Harry made his way straight for his tower, intent on sulking for the rest of the day. As he passed the guard to his tower, he left terse orders not to be disturbed by anyone other than Hermione or Neville. When he reached the main living area of his tower, Harry kicked off his boots and flopped down on the soft black sofa that was in front of the fireplace and angled himself so his face was buried into the back of the couch and his back was towards the fireplace.

"Are you alright?" Draco asked gently as he sat down on the edge of the couch near Harry's feet. Harry started at the question as he had forgotten that Draco had been following him.

"Yeah," Harry mumbled as he shifted to lay on his back. "I'm just tired of people thinking I can't take care of myself or that I'm completely reckless."

"Well in their defense you did drag a known convict and suspected murder into the castle," Draco said causing Harry to glare at him. The smirk that played on Draco's face showed he was only teasing though.

"Why is it that I can never sulk with you around?" Harry asked as he sat up and a grin slowly made its way onto his face.

"Because I'm a Malfoy," Draco said haughtily. "And what a Malfoy wants a Malfoy gets."

Harry flopped back onto his back laughing at Draco's antics. When his laughing died down a little Harry noticed that the house elves had decorated his rooms for Christmas. Green pine tree looking garland hung artfully from the chandelier and the ceiling. Silver and gold baubles hung throughout the garland to dangle gracefully into the room. To complete the tree-like look and to give it a more natural look, pinecones were attached to the garland. A tree was placed in the corner of the room between the fireplace and the doors leading to the balcony. Harry didn't notice most of the decorations though. His heart had started fluttering nervously in his chest and his mouth went suddenly dry as he caught sight of a decoration that was hanging directly above him. It would give him the perfect opportunity but that didn't mean it was no less scary.

"What's wrong Harry?" Draco asked in confusion at the sudden turn he saw Harry make.

"Nothing's… _wrong_ per se," Harry said as he swallowed nervously. "I just find myself in a… bit of a predicament." Aside from forcing him to remember who he was, the vision he had on Halloween had made Harry realize something very important. He liked Draco. A lot. And not just as a friend either. Harry had decided to follow his heart, per his mother's advice, and that meant coming to terms with his feelings for Draco. Ever since Halloween he had been trying to think of a way to tell Draco without it ruining their friendship. Out of respect for his friend Harry had never delved too deep with his empathy, beyond the normal readings he got such as whether he was happy, sad, content, focused, or whatever trickled through his Occlumency shields so Harry had no idea whether or not Draco might feel the same for him and that made him very nervous.

"And what would that be?" Draco said leadingly, confused by the nervousness he could see coming off the raven-haired boy.

"That," Harry said simply, pointing at the mistletoe hanging over his head, not daring to look at Draco just.

"The decorations?" Draco asked in bafflement, missing the mistletoe entirely. It was actually rather hard to see unless you were looking for it specifically.

"No," Harry said with a slight laugh, his nervousness actually increasing instead of abating since he had to now specifically point out what he was looking at. "The mistletoe that is hanging among the decorations."

"Oh," Was all Draco could say once he saw the mistletoe. He suddenly felt as nervous as Harry did.

Draco hadn't thought much about relationships before but he had found himself thinking more and more about Harry. Not men. Not women. Just Harry. He had found that he loved Harry's laugh, which is why he always sought a way to make Harry laugh whenever he could. The way Harry's marbled eyes glistened with happiness whenever the boy was happy and laughing with his friends was mesmerizing. Whenever he was close enough, Draco could smell Harry's scent and it was nearly intoxicating. Then there was Harry's naturally tanned skin. It always took every ounce of Draco's self-control not to drool at the sight. Without any real conscious decision on his part, Draco found himself leaning over Harry and pressing his lips to Harry's, the very lips he had found himself fantasizing about on more than one occasion. Later on, he would guess that it was probably the thought that he now had a reason to do it that had him acting so boldly and without thought.

The instant their lips met electricity seemed to shoot up and down their bodies. It was as if every single nerve had ignited. The entire world seemed to melt away for both of them and all they knew was the gentle union of their mouths. Harry, who was still on his back but not caring, found his arms slowly rising until they came to tangle in those gorgeous blond locks. He felt an unbelievable and all consuming fire erupt in his stomach. An intense need for _more_ plagued his mind and body and he felt groin instantly harden and press against his altered pajama bottoms. _That_ was something that had never happened before. Not even in the mornings when it was normal for a man to wake up with an erection. Harry's mind had simply never dwelled on things like _that_. Feelings yes, but _that_, no. With that intense need for _more_ plaguing his mind and body, Harry, in a bout of Gryffindor courage, darted his tongue out to lick at those tantalizing lips that were still pressed against his.

When Draco felt that tongue slither out in polite request against his lips, he opened his mouth without thought to allow it entrance. He had become lost in a haze of burning desire and passion. His body and mind urged, screamed for more, but what little rational thought that remained had held him back for fear of scaring or pushing Harry too far. That small amount of restraint had snapped when he felt Harry's tongue slide against his. He felt his hands move to wrap around Harry's shoulders to hold him as he groaned in pleasure in his throat. He felt himself shift to part Harry's, apparently willing legs so he could press more firmly into the tantalizing body below him. It was like he had no amount of self control over his body whatsoever. Draco slid his tongue over Harry's as it passed into his mouth so he could explore that hot and wet mouth. Draco, who was a healthy teenage boy who did think about things like _that_ and even indulged himself in the shower upon the rare occasion, felt a twitch roll through his body. His hips suddenly ground against Harry's causing their clothed erections to rub against each other through the fabric that restrained them in such a sinfully delightful way.

His heart rate picked up. This was new and strange but not one thought in his brain told him to make it stop. It felt _good_. Unbelievably good. When he had felt Draco part his legs, he found he could not resist despite the spike of nervousness that ran through him. He might be entirely inexperienced but that didn't mean he was naïve. He knew about sex though he never had any inclination to experiment before. Harry felt himself relax more into the kiss though when Draco didn't immediately attempt anything brazen. The arms that had wrapped around him made Harry feel safe and warm. Then Draco ground his hips against his own and he let out a startled gasp of pleasure. That was definitely different but GODS did it feel good and he didn't dare make Draco stop. When Draco ground against him again, eliciting another sinfully spike of pleasure, Harry, despite the lack of any coherent thought in his brain, felt his magic begin to stir. It reached out lazily and licked playfully at Draco's causing a veritable surge of pleasure to course through both of their systems.

The two of them groaned pleasurably into their kiss, which hadn't stopped once, as their magics toyed with each other. When Draco ground against Harry for the third time Harry found himself arcing into the movement. The action seemed to stoke the inferno that had ignited between the two of them and it _grew_. The burning desire that consumed the two of them flared brighter and spurred them into a slightly more desperate state. Though Draco, on some level, knew what he was after, Harry didn't but the dark haired boy found himself yearning for it all the same. The all-consuming fire that had flared into existence in Harry's stomach had migrated farther south and Harry was becoming desperate for that fire to be sated. Harry ground his hips against Draco before the blond could do it again and Draco was the one to gasp in pleasure this time.

Harry and Draco found themselves lost to oblivion as they ground desperately against each other. Neither one of them noticed that the castle walls had taken on a slight glow. They didn't notice how the castle itself appeared to be humming happily ever so slightly. They were unaware of the static energy that appeared to fill the entire structure. They had no clue that Luna, who had gone to the Great Hall with Neville and Hermione, had started smiling knowingly and hummed along with the castle. They were completely ignorant about the fact that Trelawney, of all people, had suddenly spouted something nonsensical about jeweled kings of Avalon, even though she was entirely alone in her tower. The only thing that the two were conscious of was a tightening in their stomachs. They began panting in unison even as they continued to kiss. A desperate fire consumed them and they started seeing stars as pleasure flared through their bodies in unison. The two groaned as they released their seed into their trousers through their undergarments.

Draco collapsed heavily, though not harshly, onto Harry and they both laid there panting, trying to catch their breath. The whole event had been entirely unexpected, yet not unwanted. Still, they were left soaking in sweat and completely out of breath. Harry managed to come out of his enthralling high first. He didn't mind the weight on his chest, in fact he rather kind of enjoyed it and he could easily ignore the sweat coating his skin but the wetness inside his pants was rather uncomfortable. Surprisingly though, he found that he couldn't care.

"That… was unexpected," Harry managed to pant as he shifted his arms to wrap around Draco, perfectly content to simply lay as he was forever. Harry was about to say something else but he realized that Draco had fallen asleep. Smiling blissfully, Harry placed a gentle kiss on the blonde's temple before shifting ever so slightly to get more comfortable and then followed Draco into the land of dreams.

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><p><strong>AN:** Hmmm... too soon? ;-)


	19. Chapter 19: Christmas Summer Prep Quiddi

**Disclaimer:** The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me

**A/N:** Ok everyone here's the new chapter! Before you get too absorbed though I want to point out that in this story line, Harry is NOT a Horcrux. Obviously, that's a big difference from the books but it's rather vital for my story that he not be a Horcrux. He will get visions but those are just visions. He IS NOT a Horcrux. Just wanted to clarify that before the story went any further.

Also I wanted to thank everyone for their fabulous reviews! I loved them all, especially When Spells Go Wrong's and Kotori-Sensei's! To Robyn Lee Swan, the move is actually stagnate at the moment and I'm not entirely certain if we'll be continuing with it or not which kind of really irritates me since we got a storage unit and packed up a lot of stuff already... ah well Ce's la vie. Gives me more time to write.

Anyways! Enjoy the read and let me know what you all think!

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><p>CHAPTER SIX: CHRISTMAS SUMMER PREP AND QUIDDITCH<p>

Something was poking him and rather rudely too. Harry had no idea how long he had been peacefully floating in the dark realm of sleep but he felt warm, comfortable, and content and he _did not_ want to wake up. He couldn't remember ever feeling like this and he didn't want to stop, especially since the pressure on his chest and the arms around his shoulders made him feel safe and protected (_definitely _something he had never felt). Such was his reasoning for attempting to ignore whatever it was that was so annoyingly poking him in the arm. When whatever it was gave a particularly sharp poke though, he was forced to crack open an eye and glare at whatever it was that poked him. His glare was forced into a squinting wince as light pierced his sensitive pupils.

"My apologies for disturbing you young lord," An ancient sounding voice whispered from above Harry's head. Harry turned to see the black diamond effigy of Orpheus lying across the back of the couch.

"What–" Harry started to say but he cut himself off as Draco shifted in his sleep. The blond was laying half on and half off Harry and when Harry spoke Draco shifted and attempted to pull Harry closer. He adjusted his head so it was resting in the crook of Harry's neck and his lips were pressed slightly against Harry's pulse point. Harry blushed hotly and attempted not to giggle as Draco's breathing tickled the hairs on his neck. Turning his attention back to the door guard that had woken him, Harry attempted speech at a much softer level. "What time is it?"

"It is ten in the morning on December twenty first," The snaked hissed so silently that Harry likely would not have heard him if he didn't have exceptional hearing. "I apologize again for waking you but your guardian is downstairs. We expressed your desire not to be disturbed but he is adamant that he speak with you as you missed dinner last night and breakfast this morning.

Harry sighed quietly. He wasn't sure he wanted to deal with Severus at the moment. The man had really ticked him off yesterday. Harry knew Severus cared for him, as evident by both the man's actions and the feelings Harry got from him, but the least the man could do was show him the same respect that Harry gave him. Don't get him wrong, Harry was very grateful for all the help that Severus had given him over the past two years and that was one of the reasons Harry respected his guardian, more so than he respected most other people he knew, but still. Harry may be only thirteen years old but that didn't mean he was stupid and couldn't take care of himself. Yes, he took risks but only when he felt the risk to his life and others was extremely low and even then, his risks were few and far between.

"Very well," Harry sighed quietly. He'd have to deal with the outside world eventually. To be frank he was a little surprised that Neville and Hermione hadn't stumbled upon him and Draco. "Send him in but let me detangle myself first and tell him I will be on the balcony."

As the gemmed representation of his familiar lazily slithered away, Harry reluctantly tried get out from under Draco without waking him. There were two big problems about this task. One, Draco's arms were actually wrapped around his shoulders creating a surprisingly comfortable pillow. Two, the half of Draco's body that was not lying on Harry was lying on the open side of the couch, which meant that Harry would have to either slither out from under Draco and over the back of the couch or over Draco himself. This, of course, was assuming that he could undo the blond boy's arms without waking him. Harry would've sworn later that he heard the jeweled snake snigger at his predicament as it left the room. He ignored it for the time being though as he attempted to undo Draco's arms.

Slowly but surely Harry managed to detach himself from Draco's warm and comforting embrace. He ended up going over the back of the couch, as he believed it would be less likely to wake his companion. When he got to his feet, Harry became aware of his state of clothing. He still had yet to change his clothing. He had been wearing the same outfit, though it looked different, for a little over twenty-four hours now. Not to mention that there was a very _obvious_ stain on his pants. Though he didn't feel wet anymore he was still uncomfortable as his pants were now slightly crusty, sticky, and _very_ clingy. With a disgruntled huff, Harry cast a cleaning charm over his entire body and clothing, grateful for when his crotch no longer felt like it was glued to his clothing. He would have preferred a shower and a proper change of clothing but he didn't have time. Before he left for the balcony, Harry turned back to Draco. He smiled softly when he saw that Draco looked upset and disgruntled about Harry's departure. Lowering his hand, Harry gently smoothed the frown that creased Draco's forehead before placing a loving kiss there. He cast another cleaning spell over Draco, hoping it would be gentle as they tended to scrape a little, and then conjured a blanket to lay over him to keep him warm. Draco sighed contentedly and seemed to delve deeper into sleep and Harry couldn't help by smile more broadly as he turned and made his way onto the balcony.

In spite of it being winter, the balcony gardens were actually quite warm. Several of the plants that grew out here came from tropical climates and so would not survive during the harsh winters of northern Scotland. Because of this, the balcony was charmed to remain impervious to drastic changes in the weather and temperature. There were some sections that allowed snow to fall lightly since those sections held plants native to colder regions but other than that, the gardens remained fairly warm. This allowed for Harry to walk out onto the balcony and conjure a set of chairs along with a small table and appreciate the beauty of his surroundings without freezing his nuts off. He summoned Nif and ordered two cups of hot coco and some scones. He _had_ missed two meals after all. Not that he was complaining though.

Harry had just finished one of the scones and was taking a drink of his coco when he heard the balcony door open behind him. He didn't move to see who it was. He could feel the anxiety trickling through his Occlumency shields so he knew who was standing behind him. He waited patiently for Severus to work up his nerve, acting as if he hadn't heard the door open. Eventually Severus seemed to steel himself and he walked over and sat down in the empty chair that was next to Harry. He took the silently proffered coco and took a small sip before simply holding it in his lap and fidgeting with it ever so slightly. The man was clearly very nervous about something, that much Harry could tell, but he wasn't going to be the one to make the first move here. He was going to let Severus set the tone of this conversation.

"I," Severus said stiffly after a few moments of silence. He was clearly struggling with what he was about to say, which naturally raised Harry's curiosity. "I am sorry." Harry paused in the middle of taking a sip of hot coco. He hadn't been expecting that. "You were right. I let my hatred for Black blind me towards a potential threat against your life and I should not have. I also should not have got after you for seeing what I couldn't and dealing with it in an, admittedly, appropriate manner. I'm sorry Harry."

Harry was quiet for several minutes. He hadn't been expecting an apology, especially not from the stubborn Head of Slytherin. "Thank you," He said eventually.

"I hope that you will not hide things like this from me anymore." Severus said as he waved aside the gratitude. "Also, should a situation like this arise again I will do my best to be open minded and receptive towards your thoughts."

"Thank you Severus, that means a lot to me," Harry said with a small smile. In an attempt to lighten the mood a little Harry added, "So does this mean I can go searching for the abominable snowman?"

"Brat," Severus remarked with a very small smile when he realized Harry was only joking. "So, do you know what was going on with the castle last night?" Severus asked in an attempt to keep the conversation going and out of genuine curiosity.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, honestly not knowing what Severus was talking about. He had to fight to keep a blush from spreading across his face as the memories of what happened between him and Draco last night crept through his mind.

"I am referring to how the castle started glowing and humming just before dinner," Severus elaborated, confused as to how Harry could not have noticed such a thing. "Did you not notice?"

"No, I was in front of the fireplace reading all night." Harry lied with a shake of his head. He honestly hadn't noticed what Severus was talking about but there was no way in hell that he was about to explain _why_ he hadn't notice.

"Hmmm," Severus hummed in thought. He took a closer look at the boy and noticed that he was wearing the same outfit that he had been wearing the previous day. He also noticed that his hair was ever so slightly messier than normal and that there was a faint blush making its way across Harry's cheeks. Severus raised an eyebrow at these clues but was prevented from further thought and speech by two owls swooping out of the air. They were both regal looking eagle owls so Severus had a fairly good idea who they were from but he was surprised when one of the owls landed on Harry's leg that was crossed over his other leg. Severus recognized the handwriting on his envelope so he couldn't help but wonder why Narcissa would be writing Harry instead of Draco. That is, of course, assuming that the other owl was from her as well.

"You realize that I'm not Draco," Harry questioned the owl after a moments confusion when he read the name on the envelope tied to the owls leg. The owl gave him an indignant hoot along with a strangely knowing look before it stuck out its leg. "Alright," Harry said with a shrug and gave the bird a bit of his scone as he untied the letter.

"Why is Draco's mother sending you a letter?" Severus asked when the owls had gone. He hadn't noticed that the letter Harry had received was actually addressed to Draco.

"She isn't," Harry explained, as he set the letter aside, not bothering to open it since it wasn't his. He was also silently grateful for the diversion the two owls had presented. "The bird must have known that Draco is sleeping and that I'd pass along the letter. Though how it knew such things is beyond me."

"Draco is still sleeping?" Severus questioned in shock as he opened Narcissa's letter. To sleep in so late was not like Draco.

"Yes, he was reading along with me last night and fell asleep on the couch." Harry explained in a half lie, not realizing that Severus had stopped paying attention. "I didn't have the heart to wake him so I let him sleep on the couch."

"I'm sorry Harry," Severus said as he refolded the letter and stood up. "I must go deal with this."

"Ok," Harry said a little nonplused by Severus' sudden shift in demeanor. "But before you go, did you and the Headmistress deal with that rat?"

"Yes," Severus said only a little stiffly. "It turns out that the rat was Peter Pettigrew, another close friend to your parents. He was thought to be murdered by Black but evidently not. The Headmistress immediately contacted the Aurors and informed them of what was going on. The proper precautions were taken and Pettigrew is already in a cell in Azkaban and the dementors have been removed from the grounds." Severus paused and started fidgeting once again, clearly nervous about something. "I… hope that you can forgive me for acting the way I did yesterday." Not waiting for a response, Severus fled the tower, apparently having enough emotional encounters for a while. Harry chuckled at his mentor's antics as he took the letter and went inside. He would forgive Severus of course but the man could be rather entertaining when it came to emotional situations.

Harry made his way over to the couch and stood staring at the vision of beauty laying there, still sleeping. He felt a smile spread across his face as he lightly brushed a few strands of hair out of the blonds' face. No one had ever made him feel the way Draco made him felt. He still wasn't entirely certain of what he felt for Draco but he knew that it was good and happy feelings. Having never experienced any genuine forms of affection and care, Harry wasn't certain if his feelings were along the lines of love or not but he knew that he cared deeply for the blond.

With a blush spreading across his face, Harry bent down kissed Draco's cheek in an attempt to wake him up. It may be the holidays but it was well past the time that they should have started the day. He couldn't help but chuckle at the way Draco seemed to nuzzle into his lips when they made contact. Rather unexpectedly though, Draco exploded into movement. Before he realized what was going on, Harry found himself once again tapped beneath Draco's body with the blond nuzzling his neck.

"You are a very sweet person, you know that?" Draco whispered into Harry's ear, causing shivers to run down his spine.

"And just how long have you been awake?" Harry asked as he blushed profusely and leaned back to get a better view of Draco's sleep hazed face.

"Since before the guard woke you," Draco said as he opened his eyes and smirked at the disbelief that played over Harry's face.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Harry asked indignantly.

"Because it was rather amusing to watch you attempt to disentangle yourself without waking me," Draco said unrepentantly. "Not to mention I was comfortable. Did you know you make a rather comfy pillow?"

"Humph!" Harry huffed, not in the mood to be placated. "And why didn't you wake up after I had removed myself?"

"Because you and Severus needed to speak in private and there was no real pressing need for me to remove myself from under the nice blanket you conjured for me," Draco said and Harry's blush darkened. "You look like an adorable cherry."

Harry whined in mortification and attempted to use one of the couch pillows to hide his beet red face. Unfortunately, that didn't work out as well as he hoped for Draco's face was too close to his and ended up being covered as well. Smirking devilishly, Draco latched onto one of Harry's earlobes that were dangling so temptingly near his mouth. Harry let out a startled squeak that quickly turned into labored breathing as Draco began to nibble on the earlobe in his mouth. Harry was so distracted by the sensations that were making their way through his body from that one area, that he didn't notice Draco's slender aristocratic fingers slide devilishly lower. They came to rest on Harry's ribs, just under his arm. As he gave another nibble, Draco smirked and then launched his assault. Harry started squirming beneath Draco as he attempted to get away from those devious fingers.

"Not… FAIR!" Harry said through his laughter as he tried to fend off Draco's fingers.

"No," Draco disagreed with a happy smile. "What wouldn't be fair is if I did this." As he continued to tickle Harry, Draco leant in and pressed their lips together. Harry groaned into that kiss as the fire he felt the previous night sparked happily.

"You're right," Harry said when Draco had pulled away. "That isn't fair." Harry smirked just as deviously as Draco had done. In a fit of vengeance, he suddenly flipped them around so Draco was the one on his back with his hands pinned to the couch by Harry's. "Care to know what else isn't fair?" Not waiting for an answer, Harry leaned down and kissed Draco a second time but this time deeply. He ran his tongue over Draco's as they battled back and forth. When Harry felt Draco's erection pressing against his own he ground against the blonds' hips, eliciting a lustful groan. Without warning, Harry suddenly broke the kiss and got off the couch, leaving a stunned Draco in his wake.

"Hey!" Draco finally managed. Harry was halfway towards the hallway that would take him to his room so he could shower and change.

"That's what you get for tickling me like that," Harry said with a teasing smile over his shoulder at Draco. He laughed when he heard Draco groan loudly in frustration.

Harry smiled all the way back to his rooms where he immediately discarded his clothing and drew a bath. Cleaning charms were fine and did what was needed but nothing beat a nice hot bath or shower. For a good ten minutes, Harry just floated about in his luxurious swimming pool sized bathtub, enjoying the cleaning feeling that washed over his skin and relaxed his muscles. When he was done indulging himself, Harry finished washing and got out of the bath and dressed in proper clothing. When he was more presentable, Harry left his rooms and went back to the main living area. Once there, he saw Draco sitting on the couch, clean, in different clothing, and with a pensive frown on his face. Clearly, he had taken use of the room he had used over the summer and asked an elf for a change of clothing but what concerned Harry was the anxiety he could feel coming from the blond.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked as he sat down next to… his boyfriend? That was when he noticed that Draco was holding the letter Harry had received for him. He had dropped it when Draco pinned him to the couch unexpectedly.

"It's from mother," Draco explained as he handed the letter over. Confused as to why Draco would want him to read a letter from his mother, Harry gave him a questioning look but took it nonetheless.

_Dear Dragon,_

_Your father has been gone for several months now, far longer than any previous trip he has taken. In order to keep suspicion from falling upon us I am going to the Ministry to report your father missing. This is undoubtedly a sensitive subject for both you and Harry but this must be done to keep questions from being asked. I advise that you inform Harry of what I am doing so he is not blindsided when news hits the papers that Lucius Malfoy is missing. Given the importance your father has in society, a full-scale inquiry will likely be made. This means that you should expect to be questioned. If you are, remember that you went over to the Zabini's two days after school let out since your father was leaving for a business trip and I was planning on going to France to visit your great aunt Dionne. Both the Zabini's and Dionne know of the situation and are fully prepared to back up our stories. I suggest you get together with Blaise and work out minor details. I also suggest that you burn this letter when you are finished reading it so no one can stumble upon it. _

_With love,_

_Narcissa _

"Well," Harry said as he set the letter aside and leaned into Draco's shoulder a little. "That's not entirely unexpected I suppose."

"Are you ok?" Draco asked worriedly as he took Harry's hand in his own and intertwined their fingers.

"Should I be asking you that?" Harry said with a small huffing laugh. He smiled at the gesture of their intertwined hands. "But yes I'm ok. The vision I had on Halloween really helped me realize that I shouldn't blame myself for what happened."

"Are you sure?" Draco pressed. Harry had told him about the vision he had, or rather just the epiphany that it brought about, but he was still worried.

"Yes," Harry said and he leaned in to kiss Draco on the lips briefly before pulling back. "Now come on. We better go face the inquisition." Draco laughed and allowed Harry to lead him from the rooms, still holding hands.

–Scene Break–

The next few days passed rather quietly for everyone that had stayed at Hogwarts. The students and staff were ecstatic to have the dementors gone. Remus had fallen into a serious depression, blaming himself for believing his friend was a murderer. Harry was entirely unaware of the man's desperate desire to find Black and beg for forgiveness until Severus came to him two days before Christmas and asked if he knew where Black was. Harry had of course said yes, he had checked on Black several times and found him resting due to his pneumonia so he hadn't disturbed him a great deal and hadn't had a chance to inform the man that he was now officially free. When Severus explained why he was asking Harry fought valiantly to keep a smirk off his face. This meant that Remus was actually getting through the icy shields Severus kept around his heart. After he had regained control of his features, Harry had agreed to take Remus to see Black, as well as Madam Pomfrey since the man wasn't in any shape to go traipsing through the castle to reach the Hospital Wing.

On Christmas Eve Harry decided to hold a nice dinner party for everyone in the big and formal dining room in his tower that was decked out for Christmas. He didn't invite all the students that had stayed at the castle, or even all the staff, but he did invite Hermione, Neville, Blaise, Hagrid, Minerva, Severus, Remus, Madam Pomfrey, and Luna just to be nice and because he figured she'd probably pop up anyways. Better to have her as a friend so he can keep an eye on her, rather than off somewhere doing god knows what. Draco was a given of course. Harry and Draco had been almost completely inseparable since that night under the mistletoe. They had come to a silent agreement to keep things private and between themselves for two reasons: one, they were public figures and the whole world would likely have a fit if they found out and two, out of respect for Neville. They both knew that the boy would likely have bad flashbacks of Lockhart if he saw them holding hands or kissing and they didn't want to upset the boy by flaunting their newfound relationship.

During the dinner party, Harry had quite innocently placed Remus and Severus next to each other. Severus appeared to be mildly uncomfortable but wasn't protesting, though Harry was certain that he would if he had known Harry had placed them together deliberately. Remus looked better after speaking with Black but was also haggard due to the full moon that was approaching. The werewolf gave Harry a suspicious look when Severus wasn't looking but Harry just grinned unrepentantly and continued a conversation he was having with Hermione. Luna had rather surreptitiously placed herself next to Neville and while the boy looked nervous and uncomfortable with her placement, he quickly relaxed as the strange girl dragged him into a light conversation about whether or not the Minister would look better with pink eyeballs and orange hair. Neville, of course, found this to be an extremely strange topic of conversation (as did everyone else who was within hearing range) but he was too polite to ignore her and he quickly found himself wrapped up in the argument. Everyone at the table laughed when the normally shy boy heatedly declared that he thought the Minister would look better with green skin and yellow teeth rather than pink eyeballs and orange hair. Naturally, Neville blushed hotly when he realized everyone had started laughing at his proclamation. Even Severus was smirking in amusement.

After dinner had concluded and everyone had left, Harry and Draco retired to the living room and sat on the couch in front of the fire. The two did nothing more than lay in each other's arms, content with the way things were. Occasionally they would make out (they were under mistletoe after all) but that was it. When Christmas morning dawned, the two of them simply laid there on the couch holding each other and didn't bother to get up and start opening presents for the longest time. Neither Harry nor Draco had ever had a Christmas like this and neither of them wanted it to end any time soon. Thus, it was two very grumpy people who were forced to get up from their comfortable positions in each other's arms on the couch and go relieve their bladders. Since it was Christmas though and it was not necessary for them to go down to the Great Hall or anything, they leisurely opened their presents together. Their peace was interrupted by Hermione, Neville, and Luna, who was quickly becoming part of their group, when the three came into Harry's tower an hour or so after lunch to find Draco and Harry playing a game of Exploding Snap with a new deck that Remus had gotten Harry.

When the holidays were over, the castle and occupants were allowed the opportunity to experience several peaceful months of simply being normal students, even Harry was able to experience it. He attended classes with the other students and got a chance to be nothing more than a normal kid. With the aid of Madam Pomfrey, Black was able to get over his pneumonia by the time spring rolled around. Remus graciously provided the ex-con with a pair of robes so he could go to the Ministry to sort out the finer details of reinstating himself into society. When that was dealt with, Remus had taken Black aside during the Easter holidays and proceeded to fill the man in on the happenings of the past thirteen years. Needless to say, Black was shocked to find that Harry now owned Hogwarts _and _that Dumbledore had been arrested and charged with child endangerment and child abuse. Black barely recalled seeing Dumbledore walking past his cell but the man had thought it nothing more than a hallucination brought on by the dementors, understandably so.

Speaking of his stay in Azkaban, Black had decided to take off to the Greek isles in order to recover better and faster. Hogwarts was a bright and cheery place but it was also too crowded. Black may have been a highly sociable person when he was younger but after his stay in Azkaban he wasn't comfortable around large crowds and that caused him to hide in the rooms Harry had set up for him to say in permanently, rather than having him stay in Godric's rooms. Isolating himself like that resulted in him feeling trapped and confined, which led to flashbacks of his dark cell in Azkaban. The rooms Harry had provided were light and cheery enough but they still made him feel confined and trapped. Such was his reasoning for going to Greece. It was much sunnier than Britain was and the Black family owned a small cottage on a beach on one of the isles so he could spend a good deal of time relaxing and recovering.

"So are we ready to go?" Harry asked as he stepped into the Headmistresses office. School had ended a few days ago and Black had been gone for three months now. The man sent regular letters to Harry in an attempt for them to get to know each other better. He was Harry's godfather after all.

Right now though, that was the farthest from Harry's mind as he took in the sight before him. Harry, Severus, and Minerva were about to head into muggle London so Minerva could get a better idea of what Martial Arts was, Draco would have been coming with them but he was with Narcissa at the Ministry dealing with the Aurors as they searched for Lucius. Severus was dressed all in black, of course. Having some experience with living in the muggle world Severus wore black slacks, a black button up, and black dress shoes. Harry was dressed slightly more colorful. He wore a pair of blue jeans and the light green t-shirt Hermione had gotten him for Christmas during their first year and his boots that went nicely with his outfit. Harry actually had to transfigure his jeans since he had promptly trashed any and all clothing he had received from the Dursley's. Minerva took the cake though. She was dressed in a rather poufy white dress with flours on it, white gloves on her arms, and a rather big white hat. Overall, she looked like something that came from the Elizabethan era.

"You're not actually going to wear that are you Headmistress?" Harry asked in slack-jawed amazement.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Minerva asked in confusion, looking down at her outfit and trying to discern what was wrong with it.

"I… well… nothing, but…" Harry stuttered, unable to voice a proper explanation about what exactly was wrong with her choice in clothing.

"I believe what Harry is attempting to say," Severus interjected when it became apparent that Harry couldn't really speak. "Is that you are more likely to attract attention wearing that than you would if you were to wear your robes."

"Hogwash," Minerva exclaimed. "I got these clothes from a muggle store myself."

"When," Harry asked, finding his voice once again. "1818?"

"Humph, no" Minerva huffed in annoyance.

"Well you're not going out like that," Harry said as he walked over and sat Minerva down in a chair, much to her indignation and Severus' amusement. Harry took the hat off Minerva's head and transfigured it into a far more reasonable wicker hat that was average size and had white daisies around it. Harry had learned over the summer before third year that so long as he remained in the castle and under the guidance of Severus he could perform magic. He discovered this when he had unconsciously cast a banishing charm on the contents of the cauldron he had been brewing with. When he finished with the hat, Harry transfigured her dress into something much simpler. He turned it a nice shade of blue, got rid of the flowers, and made it far less poufy, allowing her figure to show a little more. He also took off a few inches so the dress came to just above her ankles. He left her shoes alone since they went with the rest of the outfit. He did change the color of her gloves to match the dress though.

"Much better," Severus remarked with an approving nod.

"Well if you're done playing dress up," Minerva griped in annoyance as she stood up and went over to the fireplace. "Perhaps we can leave now."

Harry just chuckled and followed her through the floo and into the Leaky Cauldron. Once Severus was through, Harry led them out into muggle London. Harry had asked Nif to do a little snooping to find the nearest Martial Arts studio. Naturally, the little elf didn't have a clue what Harry was talking about so he directed Nif to the library in Rowena's tower and showed him books about the art. When he had a good idea of what to look for, the elf immediately popped away and began looking. However, since Hogwarts was, quite literally, in the middle of nowhere the nearest place to find a Martial Arts studio was in London. The elf had returned to Harry and proceeded to give him precise directions on how to get there from the Leaky Cauldron.

"Here we are," Harry said cheerily some fifteen minutes after leaving the pub. "Oh good there's a class in session too." He added when he got inside and saw a class in progress. There were about fifteen to twenty students in the room, each wearing what looked like white pajamas with different colored belts. Some had white belts, some had red, some had brown, some had green and some had black. There were two in particular black belts that stood at the front of the observing class. They bowed to each other and proceeded to progress through a series of quick movements.

"_This_ is Martial Arts?" Minerva asked in wonder as she watched the two students battle back and forth. Severus was watching intently as well but he wasn't as awestruck as Minerva was since he knew a little more about Martial Arts than she did.

"Yes," Harry answered with a nod. "It may look rough but it could come in extremely useful in a physical altercation. It will also teach the students how to move quicker and more effectively if they find themselves in a dangerous situation."

"Can I help you?" Harry and the others turned to see a sweet looking muggle woman standing behind them. She appeared to be a receptionist of some kind.

"No that's ok," Harry said with a charming smile. "I was just thinking of taking some classes and we wanted to check out your studio."

"Oh well here," The woman said as she turned and grabbed something off what Harry presumed to be her desk. She turned back and held out three pamphlets. "These list all of our classes, times, and prices."

"That's perfect, thank you," Harry said with another charming smile. The woman blushed faintly before going over to her desk and dealing with some paperwork.

"And what are we supposed to do with these?" Severus asked, holding up the pamphlet with a look of disdain on his face as they left the studio.

"Toss 'em for all I care," Harry said with an indifferent shrug as he did just that with his own. "I was just being polite so as to not cause a scene. So what do you think Professor?" Harry asked, directing his question towards Minerva as they walked down the street.

"I admit that it looks a little violent," Minerva said with a pensive look on her face. "And, there is likely going to be many prominent families who won't like it very much. However, I think it a valid class to implement, especially if we combine it with a dueling class."

"Brilliant!" Harry cheered happily.

–Scene Break–

_Blood! He could smell it all around him. It mixed with the smells of grass, dirt, and stone. He felt the blood pool beneath him, felt it flowing freely from the cut on his arm. There was so much of it. He couldn't understand how there could be so much blood. No human body could contain so much blood. Nor could it loose so much without the person dying. It simply wasn't possible. He felt Dark magic stirring in the air. Someone was speaking but he could only understand one word; rise! He smelt flames and felt their heat on his face. There was high-pitched laughter that grated on his nerves like glass over gravel._

Harry shot up in bed with a strangled scream. That was the third time he had such a dream and in as many days but it was the first one that had focused so much on the aspect of the blood in the dream. Something was coming, something Dark; he could feel it in his bones. He looked out the window and saw that the half moon was high in the sky, indicating that it was midnight. It was the middle of July. Harry had spent the past month or so with Minerva and Severus looking for appropriate teachers for the new classes that would start on September first. Draco, unfortunately, could not remain at the castle this summer as he had the previous one, as he needed to appear as if nothing was out of the ordinary while the Ministry searched for his father.

Pushing away the feeling of loneliness, Harry snatched an outer robe and stormed from his bedroom. He was _not_ going to sit on the sidelines and do nothing while he watched disaster strike. He had had a dream like these once before, during second year after the attack on the Quidditch pitch and before the possessed Ginny Weasley attempted to kill him and Madam Pomfrey. These dreams were clearly warnings and he'd be damned if he was going to ignore them. Harry stalked through the hallways of the secret passages until he reached Rowena's tower where he barreled into the library.

"Blood rituals," Harry snapped as he picked up the orb next to the doorway.

The orb shot out of his hand and led him deep into the library where he spent the next several hours poring over single book in the section that the orb led him too. Usually if he were to do something like this, Harry would take as many books as he could into the Time Room next to the library and study there but given the volume of books in the section and that he was extremely deep within the library, Harry opted to pace and read within the bookshelves. That way he wouldn't have to worry about running out of books or traveling back and forth between the library and the Time Room. It would decrease the amount of time he could spend reading the books but it was a fair trade off in his mind.

Harry had become so lost and absorbed into the realm of the written word of the books he was reading that he started at a loud crack that sounded next to him. Badly too. So bad that he ended up tossing the book he was holding into the air and ended up havening to scramble to catch the thing before it fell to the floor in a heap. After catching the book and relocating his spot, Harry looked around for the source of what had disturbed him. Just outside the mass of books that littered the floor, books Harry had already read through, stood a rather nervous looking house elf. It was one of Hogwarts' elves, Harry knew that much, but it was clearly nervous about having startled Harry so badly.

"I is sorry to be disturbing yous Master Harry sir," The elf squeaked nervously as it wrung its hands together. "But the Headmistress be wishing to speak with you sirs."

"Thank you Kiki," Harry said with a reassuring smile as he marked the page he was reading and started plucking a few more books from the shelves. "If you would please tidy up these book but make sure to leave them off the shelves as I need to know what I've read and what I haven't."

"Yes Master," Kiki said with a bow and began to do as Harry asked.

Harry bound the books he pulled from the shelves with a spell, levitated them, and then charmed them to follow behind him. When he was finished with that Harry opened the book he had been reading when Kiki disturbed him and began making his way out of the library while he continued to read. Luckily for him, his feet seemed to have a mind of their own as he quickly became lost in what he was reading once again. So complete was his absorption into what he was reading that he didn't notice when he pushed open the doorway that lead straight into the Headmistress' office, bypassing the gargoyle completely and startling the rooms occupants.

"You wished to see my Headmistress?" Harry questioned absently, only half noticing the fact that he had reached his destination and completely missing the fact that there was more than one person in the room.

"How did you discover that passage?" Minerva asked in shock. She had absolutely no idea about any secret passages that lead into the Headmistress' office.

"Hmmm," Harry said, only just registering her question and his eyes never leaving the book in his hands. "Emergency tunnel. Founders' put them all over the castle in case of an invasion given the wars that were popular when they built the school." If Harry had been paying even half attention to his situation he would've commended himself on his ability to utter such a lengthy and complex sentence. As it was, he never took his eyes off the book as they moved across the page at rapid speed, the words soaking into his brain like a sponge absorbs water.

"Well," Minerva said, clearly flustered and not liking it one bit. "Be that as it may, I would appreciate it if you were to use the main entrance from now on."

"Hmm," Was all Harry said, too entranced by the words on the page to give her any other response. That is, until he had his book snatched out of his hands. "Hey!"

"This is a serious situation that requires your full attention," Severus rebuked, keeping the book out of Harry's reach when he attempted to snatch it back. However, when he noticed that the pages were blank and that the book had no title, he gave Harry a confounded look. "Why are you reading a blank book?"

"It isn't blank," Harry said as he managed to pluck the book out of Severus' hands. Since blood rituals were considered Dark magic, they fell under the same stipulation that Harry was the only one capable of reading the books outside of the tower. "I will explain why you aren't allowed to read it at a later date," Harry said as he bookmarked his page with a finger and turned his attention to the rest of the room. "So, what can I do for everyone today?" It was then that Harry had absolutely no idea what time of day it was, or even if it was the same day for that matter.

"You were called here," Minerva said drawing everyone's attention from behind her desk. "Because your opinion and decision is required on a matter concerning the school and the upcoming year. May I introduce, Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation," Harry smiled and shook hands with the grey haired man with a small mustache. "The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge," Again Harry smiled and shook hands. "And Ludovic Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

"A pleasure to meet you all," Harry said when Minerva finished introducing everyone. The two department heads look slightly disinterested in meeting him, though Ludovic looked delighted to meet a celebrity. The Minister though, looked rather sour and from the feelings Harry got from the man, he guessed it was because Fudge wasn't happy about involving someone he considered a child in a matter that shouldn't involve him.

"The Ministry here, Harry, has been attempting to reinstate the Triwizard Tournament," Minerva said causing Harry's eyes to nearly fall out of his skull as he looked at her in shock. One of the first books he had read out of Rowena's library was a very detailed history about Hogwarts and that included a counting of the Triwizard Tournament.

"That is a very dangerous tournament," Harry almost whispered but managed to make his voice audible to everyone in the room. "It was cancelled for a reason."

"Indeed," Minerva agreed as she stood up and walked around her desk. "However, in an attempt to make the tournament a great deal safer, there would be several safety measures put in place, though not so many as to completely derail the point of the competition."

"What kind of safety measures?" Harry asked. He could tell that she had mixed feelings about the tournament. On the one hand, it would be a great opportunity for the students to socialize with people from different cultures, as well as prestige for whomever won the tournament. On the other, the tournament had a tendency to kill two out of the three champions chosen. Severus was against the tournament being reinstated but that was just because it would make the students that more difficult to control.

"Why are we even having this conversation?" Fudge demanded before Minerva could explain about the safety measures. "He's a child and has no say over this matter."

"As Lord of Hogwarts," Harry said in a bland, yet dangerous tone as he turned to level a blank glare at the portly man. "I assure you that I have every say in the matter. If I do not consent to allow Hogwarts to host the tournament if the tournament is reinstated and Hogwarts is chosen to host it, then there will be no tournament."

"Back to the safety measures," Minerva intervened before an argument could break out, which looked likely given that the Minister looked outraged. "An age restriction shall be put in place for starters. No one under the age of seventeen will be allowed to compete."

"Reasonable, though it is likely to cause some of the students whose birthday is in the middle of the year to become disgruntled." Harry remarked, thinking particularly of the Weasley twins.

"Likely but since the age of consent in the Wizarding World is seventeen we think it reasonable to apply this restriction," Minerva said, also thinking of the Weasley twins. She went on to detail the other restrictions that would be implemented in order to keep the students, the judges, and the champions much safer than they have been in the past.

"Though I'm sure Professor Snape would disagree with me," Harry said throwing Severus an apologetic and sympathetic glance. "I think these are all reasonable restrictions and protections. I see no reason why the tournament can't be reinstated. It would be a great opportunity to strengthen international ties. Is that all you needed me for Headmistress?" He was itching to go back to reading and it had taken all his strength not to reopen the book in his hands.

"Yes it is Harry, you may go," Minerva said giving him a curious glance.

"A pleasure to meet you gentlemen," Harry said to the three Ministry officials before he left the room, the small assortment of books floating behind him. On his way down the spiral staircase Harry reopened the book and once again started reading.

"For a blank book, you certainly seem to be quite enthralled by it," Severus remarked snidely, though without any real heat behind the words.

"It isn't blank," Harry said absently as he turned down the transfiguration corridor. He knew Severus wasn't about to let this one go.

"Certainly looks blank," Severus remarked dryly as he silently wondered why Harry was headed towards Professor Triton's office.

"Yes well it would look blank to you since there is a spell on it preventing anyone but myself from reading it," Harry responded as he opened that door leading to the transfiguration professor's office.

"Harry, Severus, what can I do for you today?" The blond haired and yellow-eyed transfiguration professor that was actually Harry's familiar, Aili, inquired when they crossed the threshold into her office.

"He wants to know why he can't read my book," Harry stated simply as he moved over to a corner and stood there reading.

"Is there any particular reason why you're reading one of those books?" Aili questioned, knowing full well where Harry had gotten a book that only he could read. "Particularly _that_ book?" She added with a scowl when she noticed what Harry was reading.

"I need to know," Harry stated simply as he never stopped reading. He continued before anyone could respond though. "I've been having this dream for the past couple of nights, more like visions, and I need to know." Despite the fact that he had once again managed a complex sentence while being absorbed in his reading, it was still rather vague.

"Why did you not come to me?" Severus asked as he laid a hand on Harry's book and forced the boy to look up at him. He was both hurt and angry that Harry had not come to him for such a thing.

"Because until last night I didn't recognize them as visions," Harry explained, trying to sooth the hurt he had unintentionally caused. "Until I last night all I was dreaming about were the smells of grass, dirt, stone, and blood. I thought I was just having a really weird dream. Last night's dream was similar but different. It focused greatly on the blood and I could feel Dark magic and I could hear someone speaking but I couldn't understand them completely. I wasn't deliberately trying to keep anything from you; I just woke up in the middle of the night from the latest dream and needed to figure it out so I immediately started doing research."

"I see," Severus said after a few minutes of analyzing whether or not Harry was telling the truth. "That still doesn't explain why you are reading a book only you can read."

Harry laughed at the persistence of his mentor. "May I tell him?" Harry questioned Aili, who had been sitting at her desk watching the scene quietly.

"Hmmm," She hummed in thought before answering. "Yes, but you are still the only one allowed there." Harry chuckled slightly at Aili's distrustfulness.

"When the founders built the castle," Harry explained, turning to look at Severus once again. "They built their own separate living quarters. The Chamber of Secrets was Salazar's and the rooms I kept Black in were Godric's. These books," Harry gestured at the one in his hand and the ones floating next to him. "Came from Rowena's tower. Rowena built a massive library, bigger than any I've ever seen before. In there is a collection of Dark Arts books but she knew the danger collecting such a large amount of Dark Arts books in once place could present so she cast a spell over the library that would allow only myself, her chosen heir, to read the Dark Arts books outside her tower."

Severus stood there in thoughtful silence for a long time. He was clearly uncomfortable with the thought of Harry having access to a seemingly insurmountable knowledge of Dark Arts. Having access to such a mass of knowledge would explain how a twelve-year-old boy had bested the great Albus Dumbledore in a duel though. That had been something that bugged Severus immensely for the past year but he had never found an opportunity to question the boy on it. Now he knew how the boy had performed such advanced magic. The Elder Wand help of course, Severus had seen that that was the wand Harry had used during the duel, but Harry still needed to at least know the incantations.

Harry politely allowed Severus to wrap his mind around the concept he had presented. His eyes wandered back to the pages of the book in his hands, Severus having since removed his palm that blocked him from reading. His heart instantly stopped at what he read there and his fingers went cold and limp, allowing the book to fall to the floor. It explained everything his dream had detailed to him. Right down to the fire he had felt before the cold and high laughter that grated on his ears. _To create a new body,_ the book had said. _The blood of another must be taken by force. That blood will provide the new body with life. The two bodies, the source of the blood taken and the new construction, will now share the same blood._ Everything clicked in Harry's brain. Pieces of the puzzle he hadn't seen, hadn't even known about, suddenly became abundantly clear.

"It can't be allowed," Harry whispered in shock and horror. The implications of what something like that would result in, the consequences, all flooded through Harry's mind. "It can't be allowed."

"Harry?" Severus questioned, confused by what had caused the sudden shift in Harry.

"The Dark Lord," Harry said, almost mechanically. "He's after my blood. He wants it to create a new body so he can fully regain power."

"Abomination!" Aili screeched in reminiscent of her avian self.

"How do you know this?" Severus asked, as he paled slightly, not really wanting to accept what Harry was proposing.

"The dream, the book, it's the only thing that makes sense," Harry said shaking his head in denial of his own. He stooped to pick up the book he had dropped. "It can't be allowed to happen though. Riddle doesn't know it now but he would likely find out if he succeeded. If he were to take my blood the wards," Harry gulped, trying to force words around the horrified lump in his throat. "The wards of Hogwarts would welcome him as kin and we would be completely defenseless."

–Scene Break–

The last month or so of summer passed in a crazed frenzy for Harry. He demanded that Aili allow him to take Severus to the tower so they could work out a way to prevent Voldemort from using his blood in such a vile way. With such a threat hanging over her head, Aili had no choice but to allow it. The three of them spent countless hours doing research and making preparations. They were interrupted though, halfway through August, when a letter arrived from Draco. He and his mother had acquired tickets to the Quidditch final that was being held in England this year. They had four tickets, one for Draco and Narcissa, and one for Harry and Severus.

"The Dark Lord is after your blood so he can regain power and you wish to go gallivanting out in the open?" Severus asked incredulously when Harry had presented him with a request to go.

"Oh come on Severus," Harry pleaded. He had been attempting to wear down the stubborn man for two days now. Only now though could Harry see that the man was starting to crack. "You would get to go as well, not to mention that the Ministry would likely have dozens, if not hundreds, of security measures in place."

"Fine," Severus spat after mumbling something about teenage brats being the end of him. "But you go nowhere alone and you will keep your wand on you at all times."

"Thank you!" Harry crowed as he gave the dark eyed man a brief hug before dashing from the room to tell Draco the good news. Severus just shook his head and went about finishing his preparations for the new school term since Harry had interrupted him.

Almost a week later, Harry and Severus were sitting in a rather lavished tent that was dark blue and held the Malfoy family crest on the flap. Severus sat in the living area with Narcissa and the two were drinking tea and quietly discussing things, likely how things were looking with the Ministry and the inquisition into Lucius' disappearance. Harry and Draco, who hadn't been able to see each other all summer, were at the kitchen table talking in low tones that were both heated and worried. After listening to Draco explain how things had been going with the Ministry, Harry had taken it upon himself to tell Draco everything that had been happening that he didn't put in letters.

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Draco hissed quietly. When Harry informed him of his dreams and what he and Severus believed to be the Dark Lord's plans he had gone deathly pale, more so than he normally was.

"Because I didn't want to risk any sort of information getting into the wrong hands," Harry explained quietly as he took one of Draco's hands in his own, smiling slightly at the pleasant tingling sensation that ran up both of their arms. "Information such as this is best shared in person and in private where no one but those that are trustworthy can hear."

"So what are you and Severus doing to try and prevent this from happening?" Draco asked after a few moments of silent contemplation. Harry was right and he had no need to feel upset. This was very dangerous information and if it got into the wrong hands, it could be disastrous.

"Well it's actually already done," Harry, explained in such a low tone that Draco had to strain to hear him. The blond quirked an eyebrow in both question and surprise. "Ever since I realized what Riddle was planning, Severus, Aili, and I started pouring over all the books in… _the _library pertaining to blood magic, rituals, and protection. It took the better part of a month but we finally managed to find something that would work and then another two weeks to put it into effect. We actually only finished it a few days ago."

"What is _it_ exactly?" Draco asked quietly when Harry fell silent.

"We performed a very old and very obscure ritual," Harry stated quietly and calmly. "I'm not exactly sure how old it is really but I wouldn't be surprised if it dated back to before Merlin's time." He hesitated briefly before continuing. "It did two things. It bound my blood to my will and my will alone. None may use it without my permission."

"And the second?" Draco said leadingly but gently when Harry again hesitated.

"Should someone attempt to take my blood by force the second part of the ritual will activate," Harry explained after a moment's thought of how to say what needed to be said. "It will transfer all of my blood into a prepared container that is safely located in Hogwarts' dungeons with every possible protection guarding it."

"You're joking!" Draco exclaimed a little too loudly causing Severus and Narcissa to look over.

"It won't kill me," Harry said softly after admonishing the blond to be quiet. The tent had privacy spells on it but they were minor and if you spoke too loudly then the spells wouldn't block the sound from reaching unwanted ears. "The blood will still support my body but my body will no longer be the container of the blood. However, it could have dangerous side effects if it remains like that for too long. That's why we, Severus and I, spent three days carefully tweaking the ritual so that the second half would reverse itself once the threat of my blood being stolen has passed."

"Wouldn't your blood be at risk of being stolen now since technically the Dark Lord wants it?" Draco asked in confusion, wondering how the second half of the ritual wouldn't be in effect at this very moment.

"No," Harry explained with a shake of his head. "Because someone has to deliberately attempt to steel my blood first in order for the second half of the ritual to take effect."

"So right now the only part of the ritual that's in effect is the part that binds your blood to your will alone?" Draco clarified as he attempted to wrap his mind around everything.

"Yes and that part does not have any side effects at all," Harry explained patiently. He paused at the end though and turned his attention towards the flap of the tent. A scent had wafted into his nose, one he had gotten quite familiar with during the previous school year. He got up and went over to the tent flap and threw it open.

"Harry!" Said boy had precisely half a second to recognize who had shouted his name before he was swept up into a bone-crushing hug with a startled yelp.

"Let the boy breathe Padfoot," An amused voice that Harry recognized easily as Remus Lupin's.

"What are you two doing here?" Severus asked in an icy voice as Sirius Black replaced Harry onto the ground. Harry turned just in time to see Severus, Narcissa, and Draco stowing their wands away. Clearly, his yelp of surprise and his sudden disappearance from the tent entrance had put them all on alert. Not surprising given what they knew. Harry was pleased to note though, that Severus' gaze softened ever so slightly when it fell on Remus. Harry felt distinctly smug when he saw that and had to force himself not to smile. Before anyone could respond though, another shout of Harry sounded and Harry found himself ensconced in a two-person hug.

"I'm not made of stuffing you know!" Harry said testily as he attempted to pry the arms that were squeezing his ribs. "I didn't know you two were going to be here!" He added when he saw that it was Hermione and Neville that had abused his already tender ribs from Black's hug.

"That would be my doing actually," Remus smiled mischievously. "Sirius here came to me last week, ecstatic that he had managed to procure prime seats for the match. Since you were already going with Severus and the Malfoy's I figured we could surprise you by dragging your friends along since Sirius had four tickets."

"Can you believe it Harry?" Hermione piped in. "He got tickets for the Minister's box!"

"That's great!" Harry chuckled. "That's where our seats are too."

"Awesome!" Neville quipped with a happy smile.

"Now that we've all gotten acquainted," Narcissa said in bland yet slightly chilly voice. "Perhaps we can move inside for some tea."


	20. Chapter 20: Selection and First Task

**Disclaimer: **the characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me

**A/N:** OKAY! I am so terribly sorry for taking so god awfully long to get this new update out there but I have had A LOT of stuff going on around my house, least of which is an impending divorce that's hanging over my head which just thoroughly sucks. I also just kind of needed a break from so much writing to allow my brain some time to cool off. Any whozer, here's the new update. I hope you all enjoy it. Please review and lemme know what you think!

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><p>CHAPTER SEVEN: SELECTION AND FIRST TASK<p>

_Blast it all but this is getting annoying, _Harry thought to himself as he woke with a start. Sweat coated his skin and his breathing was raged. His unruly black hair clung to his face. It had been just over a week since the Quidditch World Cup, which had ended in utter catastrophe as a group of Death Eaters went on a rampage, and school was slated to start today. Ever since Harry and Severus had performed the ritual to protect Harry's blood, the visions had left him in peace. Unfortunately, they had started up again a few days after the cup but they weren't the same as before. Where he had only gotten strong scents and impressions of his surroundings, he now had scattered and fractured images that he couldn't make heads or tails of. In one of the visions, he saw a flash of green light and heard a dull thud as a body hit the floor before he heard a pleased hissing sound followed by a snake slithering across the floor. In another vision, he could see a shrouded man whose face and body were completely hidden by thick black robes. The man was groveling, that much Harry could discern, but since his surroundings were completely dark Harry had no idea what or whom the man was groveling to, though he suspected that it was the Dark Lord.

"_Are you well little one?_" Orpheus hissed as he poked his head out of Kane's thick furry mane.

"_Yes,_" Harry answered as he got up to head for the bathroom. Sun was shining through his windows which meant that the day had already started. "_Just getting tired of dreams I don't understand._"

With that, Harry went into the bathroom and drew a bath. Given the position of the sun, it was still early in the morning so he took his time and floated through the large swimming pool sized tub and just relaxed. The dreams had been making him tense from stress so it felt good to allow his muscles to unwind. Harry actually ended up spending much more time in the bath than he had originally planned. By the time he got out, the sun had risen several inches into the sky. As he walked out of the bathroom drying himself, Harry froze and stared at the bed in contemplation and mild confusion. Kane and Orpheus were laying on the bed peacefully conversing, as they had done many times before, but there was a strange familiarity and closeness to their interaction. Orpheus was wrapped around and through Kane's mane. The two had been in such a position so many times before that Harry had never really put much thought into it before now. However, as he watched Orpheus shift his coils through Kane's thick and bushy mane almost… _lovingly _and how Kane laughed quietly with a glint in his eyes, Harry couldn't help but wonder at their relationship. He recalled such clues from other encounters, similar yet different, and they all pointed to one inexorable conclusion that frankly, didn't make a lick of sense.

"I don't mean to pry," Harry said as he walked stark naked over to his bureau, still drying his hair. He wasn't ashamed of his body, not anymore anyways, so he had no qualms about walking around in front of his familiars without any clothes. They posed as his tattoos for crying out-loud. They had access to every inch of his body. Not that they abused such access but there was hardly any point in modesty, especially since they both had already seen him naked. "But if you don't mind my being a busybody, you two seem awfully close for being two completely different species of animal." As he pulled on a pair of underwear and socks, Harry noticed through the mirror that Kane looked embarrassed and likely would have been blushing if his face wasn't covered in fur. Orpheus merely chuckled as he stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry into Kane's ear causing the feline to choke with forced laughter as he shook his head reflexively.

"_You forget Harry,_" Orpheus with a chuckle. "_That while we appear to be animals, we are also nature spirits. When we were bodiless and roamed freely among the lands, Kane and I were indeed quite close._"

"Hmmm," Harry hummed in understanding as he pulled a set of school robes off the racks in his closet. "Yes I had forgotten. Forgive my ignorance though; I didn't realize that nature spirits became as close as you two seem to be."

"Normally they don't," Kane rumbled as he threw a glare at Orpheus, who was trying to blow another raspberry into his ear. "But Orpheus and I were once human. Eons upon eons before the founders' grandfathers' grandfathers were even conceived, the two of us lived as normal humans, as lovers. Given the age, our love was concealed and we were forced to be with others and had little time for each other. When we passed into the spirit realm though, we happily spent countless years in each others' company without end."

"_About a thousand or so years before the founders were born,_" Orpheus took up the narrative when Kane was forced to bite back more laughter and shook his head again as Orpheus succeeded in tickling the lion's ear with the tip of his tail while Kane was distracted. Harry couldn't help but laugh at that. "_We were granted the ascension to spirits of nature by the powers that govern the lands. We accepted, seeing no reason not to, and spent centuries walking the land, guiding it, nurturing it._"

"Half a century before the founders' birth," Kane interjected as he pinned Orpheus' head to the bed with one of his large paws in retribution for being tickled. Again, Harry couldn't help but laugh at their antics. "We were beseeched by the powers to take on the forms of specific animals and to seek out the founders and to guide them along the right path. We knew it would separate us and keep us from being together but we saw the importance of it as well and easily agreed."

"_You pretty much know the rest from there_," Orpheus hissed as he wriggled out from underneath Kane's furry paw. He proceeded to slither his way up a bedpost and dangled his tail from the top so he could continue his attempts to tickle Kane without being pinned. Kane grumbled and swatted at the tail much like a house cat would swat at a piece of yarn. The whole scene was beyond amusing and Harry had no choice but to burst out laughing.

"That I do," Harry agreed after a few moments of hysterical laughter. "You two had better not destroy my bed." He added as he made his way out of the room.

Given that his two guardian familiars were preoccupied with each other, Harry decided to make some progress on something he had been looking into for almost two years. He rarely had time to work on it since his familiars were always with him. It wasn't that he distrusted them or anything but they could be distracting at times and he doubted they would approve of his decision to keep such a thing, whether it was destroyed or not. There was one thing he had learned over the past four years though and that was that you could never have too much information and knowledge. The more information and knowledge you gathered, the more prepared and protected you became.

Harry silently entered Rowena's tower and went over to the bedroom. He went over to the bed and pulled something out from underneath it. It was a solid glass box with over a dozen different runes etched into its surface and inside rested the destroyed remains of Riddle's diary. Harry had spent veritable days in the magical forge that was located on the second floor of Rowena's tower crafting the box. He could simply have conjured something to place the diary in but it wouldn't have been as strong and Harry was uncertain if the diary still contained any amount of power. Aili had declared the thing destroyed but since he was planning on keeping it for study Harry wasn't willing to take any risks. Therefore, he had spent what would have been days in the forge blowing and shaping the glass himself and carefully carving runes into the half-hardened surface of each panel of glass. If it hadn't been for the time spells on the room, he likely would've been in there for over a week instead of a few hours.

Harry stared down at the vile perversion of Dark magic with a disgusted sneer on his face. Even now and with all his protections over the damn thing, Harry could feel faint traces of the evil magic. There was a tiny little pile of ink between the two almost severed halves of the diary but most of the ink had bleed out before Harry put it in the container. His eyes flicked briefly to the warded drawer of the nightstand next to the bed but he made no move to open it and retrieve the book contained within. He had no need. He had thoroughly, though he threw up several times as a result. The secrets contained within that book repulsed him on a primal level and he wished with all his might to obliterate its existence completely but refrained from doing so since he doubted the spells and enchantments on the tower and library would let him, not to mention Aili would likely have a fit. The book contained detailed instructions on how to make a Horcrux, which is what the diary was. Harry had thrown up seven times, _seven_, before he managed to complete the passage. And that was just that passage alone. There were several other passages that Harry steadfastly refused to even look at let alone read.

He needed to know though. He had to know what he was dealing with so he could combat it. When he had first started looking into the damnable creations it had been out of both curiosity and a desire to fully understand what it was he had encountered and destroyed. It was different now though. A few days before the Quidditch cup Harry had come to a very disturbing realization; there was more than one. It had chilled his very bones when he realized that. He couldn't imagine making one let alone multiple Horcruxes. Yet Voldemort had created at the very least two. It was the only thing that explained how he could still be out there. Harry had destroyed the diary during his second year which meant that if it was the only one Riddle had constructed then there would be no threat of him regaining power anymore. As it was, signs clearly pointed to more than one Horcrux being in existence in order for Voldemort to be out there and gaining strength.

There were only two things that remained unanswered: where are they and how many are left? A Horcrux could be anything from the most common place of objects to the most valued and extraordinary. It was unlikely that Riddle would have chosen any old object to house a piece of his soul in so Harry was able to narrow his search down to the higher end of the spectrum of things they could be but he still had no idea what they could possibly be. He was stuck and he needed help, Harry knew that, but he was unsure of how Severus, since he was the only one Harry could go to, would react. Harry was at a stalemate with himself over whether or not he should bring the subject up with his guardian.

"Master Harry," A squeaky voice called, jerking Harry out of his thoughts. He looked down to see Nif standing next to him with a concerned look.

"What is it?" Harry asked gently and with some concern of his own.

"The carriages be arriving from Hogsmeade sirs," Nif informed him causing Harry's eyebrows to shoot into his hairline. "I is knowing you wished to be present for the feast so I came to inform you that it would be starting soon."

"Thank you Nif," Harry said as he hurriedly stuffed the glass box back beneath the bed and dashed from the room, still in shock. He had no idea that he had been standing there absorbed in his thoughts for _the entire day_! He had never gotten so lost in his thoughts like that before! It was unconscionable! What scared him even more though, was that he had been staring at the destroyed Horcrux the entire time. It clearly disturbed him and he definitely needed to get Severus' help with matters. He would just have to find the right time to consult with him on it.

Once he was outside the Great Hall Harry slowed his frantic pace and paused briefly to compose himself so he didn't look like he had just ran from one end of the castle to the other. When he had regained his composure, Harry calmly walked into the Great Hall and sat down at the Slytherin table. The hall itself had been expanded in order to accommodate the larger than normal people that would be in at the castle this year given that Hogwarts had been chosen for the tournament. This included four more teachers than last year. Harry had wanted to implement more classes but teachers couldn't be found on such short notice. As it was there were only four additional teachers sitting at the Head Table. Five if you counted Remus Lupin. Over the summer Minerva, Harry, and Severus had spent a good deal of hours trying to convince Binns to move on. The ghost had been extremely stubborn but they eventually won out when Severus remarked on how the man was distorting history and robbing the students of a proper education. When the dead professor had realized the truth of Severus' words had sighed sadly and simply faded away. Joyous at their success, they contacted Remus who was happy to take up the position since he was much more apt for History of Magic than he was for DADA since he enjoyed reading and talking about history.

However, there was actually a teacher missing from the Head Table and Harry found that rather odd. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was supposed to be an old friend of Minerva's and an ex-Auror. He was supposedly very eccentric and possibly a little deranged but otherwise capable of teaching. He had accepted the job offer during the summer and Harry had expected the man to come to the castle while summer was still in session in order to prepare for the new school year but he had yet to show.

"You think too much," An amused voice whispered in Harry's ear. Harry smirked as he turned to face Draco as the blond sat down next to him.

"You likely wouldn't be saying that if it was you I had been thinking about," Harry countered.

"True," Draco said after a moment's thought. "So what were you thinking about?"

"How the new Defense teacher is strangely late," Harry answered with a slight nod at the only empty chair at the Head Table.

"I figured that the wolf would've continued to teach that," Draco questioned quietly. It still wasn't widely known that Remus Lupin was a werewolf. Not that it mattered since Hogwarts could hire whomever they wanted but the fewer people who knew the better since it would mean less trouble.

"No, he's taking up History of Magic now that Binns has finally moved on," Harry explained as he waved at Hermione from across the hall and then Neville who was sitting down at the Gryffindor table conversing with Dean and Seamus about something or another. Luna was too busy reading her article of _The Quibbler_ to be bothered with a friendly hello, though she did look up and smile at Harry briefly.

"You mean to say that we won't have to listen to that old ghost prattle on this year?" Blaise Zabini asked, having over heard the tail end of Harry's statement. Severus walked in then with the first years and began the sorting.

"Yes," Harry said quietly so as to not disrupt anything. "Professor Lupin is taking up the post."

"Who's taking up DADA then?" Draco asked as he slid his hand underneath the table and entwined his fingers with Harry's. He smirked when Harry blushed ever so slightly and spoke with a faint smile.

"A Professor Alastor Moody," Harry answered as he rubbed his thumb over the back of Draco's, keeping his eyes on the sorting since he knew that if he looked anywhere else right now his blush would darken. "He's supposed to be an ex-Auror and a friend of the Headmistress' but he's late for some reason." Just as he said that, the wards alerted him to someone crossing the boundary lines. Ever since he discovered Peter Pettigrew last Christmas and cleared Black's name, Harry had allowed the wards to relax their previous tension that had barred the castle from threats to the students and faculty but they still alerted him to whenever someone was crossing the boundaries. Through the wards, Harry saw a gnarled man with a wooden leg and a whirling eye. _Watch him_, Harry whispered to the wards. He didn't know what Moody would look like but he wasn't about to let someone wander through the ground unchecked.

"So who are the other teachers?" Draco asked drawing Harry's attention from the wards. Harry didn't have a chance to answer though for the sorting had finished and Minerva stood up to address the students.

"Welcome students, both new and old!" Minerva said with a beaming smile on her face. "Before we begin the feast there are some very important announcements to be made." She paused as she gazed out over all the students. "First of all there are the staffing changes that have been made over the summer. I would like you all to welcome back Professor Lupin, who will be taking up the History of Magic post as Professor Binns has finally moved on," The effect that announcement caused was rather amusing. Half the students groaned at having their naptime removed while the other half cheered, happy to have someone they could learn properly from. "Next we have Professor Wu; he is new to Hogwarts and will be teaching a Martial Arts class to third years and above. I urge those under the age of seventeen to contact your parents for permission to take the class as it can be a great asset to you." The students clapped even though a good deal of them looked rather confused as to what Martial Arts was. "Then there is Professor Edland; he shall be teaching dueling to also to third years and above. His class as well will require permission from your parents." More enthused clapping this time, as several students looked eager to learn how to duel.

"Next is Professor Dowding who will be teaching fencing to fifth years and above, also with permission." Harry could see some slight irritation crossing some of the students faces. It wasn't surprising really. Each of the classes required parental permission and there were likely a few fourth years and lower that didn't like not being able to attend such interesting classes. "And finally we have Professor Wulfric. He will be teaching a very base and legal Dark Arts program to N.E.W.T level students only. Any N.E.W.T level students who are under the age of seventeen must acquire permission from the parents before they will be allowed to take the class. I can assure you that any of you who attempt to circumvent gaining your parents' permission will not enjoy the consequences." She glared at each and every single one of the students in the hall, all of whom stared back in open amazement. Dark Arts were considered immoral and dangerous and many wizarding families in Britain detested the thought of anything Dark. In mainland Europe, people had a little more of a relaxed view of Dark Arts and the wizarding schools there offered such courses but not in England. Some of the students that came from Dark inclined families, mostly those in Slytherin, were amazed that Hogwarts was allowing such a course to be taught and looked eager to take the class though annoyed at the same time since most of them would have to wait a few years before they were allowed to do so.

"Now," Minerva said when she had finished glaring at everyone. "On to the final announcement. This year is a very special year for Hogwarts, for we have been chosen to host a legendary event; The Triwizard Tournament!" Shocked whispers broke out among the students. Minerva allowed it for a few moments before once again gaining the attention of the students. Harry curiously noted that the man with the strange eye and the peg leg had entered the Great Hall through the antechamber that was behind the Head Table. He suspected the man was Alastor Moody but there was something off about the man that made Harry's scalp prickle. If he was in his panther form the hair on his back would no doubt be standing on its and his ears would be flat against his head in discomfort. "Now, more about the tournament will be explained later when our guests from the other competing schools arrive but I must impress on all of you to be on your best behavior," Here she glared poignantly at the Weasley twins. "This tournament is very important and it would be wise of all of you to make good impressions. This will be a great opportunity for everyone to meet new people from different walks of life. Now I think that's enough for now. Let the feast commence."

"Did you know about all these changes?" Draco asked as he loaded his plate with food.

"Of course," Harry answered, doing the same. "I was the one to actually propose them, except for the tournament. The Ministry is the one who wanted it reinstated, I just had to give my approval."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Draco asked a little upset at being kept out of the loop.

"Well for starters, there were some slightly more pressing matters that needed to be dealt with," Harry said with a pointed look, which quickly morphed into a mischievous smirk. "Besides, it's fun to see you caught off guard since you're always hiding behind that public mask of yours."

Draco growled and softly kicked his leg against Harry's under the table. Harry just smirked unrepentantly and wrapped his leg underneath Draco's.

–Scene Break–

The first two months of the school year passed in excitable tension for everyone at Hogwarts. The teachers worked frantically to retain the students' attention and to pile on as much information onto the students as possible before the tournament completely consumed their focus. Harry and Hermione were actually the only ones capable of keeping up with the frantic pace the teachers set, simply because they were ahead of their class. Draco had a little trouble but not much to be of any concern. Neville had the most but the others helped him to keep up. By the time Halloween rolled around, the entire castle was abuzz. The representatives for Beauxbatons and Durmstrang had arrived the day before and potential champions had spent the day placing their names in the Goblet of Fire. Harry was still grinning about the incident when the twins had attempted to get past the age line, the very age line that Harry had drawn himself. They had ended up in the hospital wing with long grey beards.

Now, Harry was standing at the front of the darkened Great Hall while Minerva set about calming the students and gaining their attention. She had taken him aside a few days prior and asked if he would do the selection but he had adamantly refused. He had enough trouble as it was trying to associate and socialize with peers his own age and didn't need to be seen as being above them anymore than he already was. Harry also believed that the other schools would probably start having a fit if he, a student no older than fourteen and of a different school, was seen selecting the champions. To show his support, though, Harry would be unveiling the cup after the champions were chosen.

As the students finally settled down and Minerva began the selection process, Harry let his gaze wander over to Professor Moody. There was something very off about that man but Harry had yet to see or hear of anything against the eccentric ex-Auror. The whispered rumors from the students were conflicted at best. Some claimed him to be brilliant while others thought him madder than a wizard conversing with a rock. The wards never picked up anything strange or dangerous. Indeed, the only thing that they did pick up was that the man seemed to be following Harry for some reason. During classes, Moody seemed like he was restraining himself but for the life of him, Harry couldn't figure out what he was trying to hold back.

"Fleur Delacour!" The cry from Minerva for the Beauxbatons' champion brought Harry out of his thoughts. He clapped along with the other students as the beautiful French girl made her way towards the front and then through the door leading to the antechamber that was behind the Head Table. Once the door had shut behind her the cup spat out the next name, this one being Viktor Krum for Durmstrang. When the door shut behind the third champion, Cedric Diggory, and when Minerva began a speech about how only one could come out the victor, Harry took the veiled cup and brought it to the little stand set up at the front of the hall.

On cue, Harry snapped off the veil to reveal the cup and then froze with his hand still in the air and looking rather silly. A presence had seized his body and rooted him where he stood. Harry's confusion at the turn of events was short lived when his eyes fell upon the Goblet of Fire. The normally calm flames had turned an angry red and were acting in a way that they should not have been. Streaks of fire shot out as the flames roared high enough to touch the ceiling. The castle started groaning in protest at the out pouring of immense magic. Students and teachers alike stared in shock and fear at the spectacle only to jump dramatically when the doors to the hall slammed closed and were sealed shut by the very force that held Harry.

Harry watched and waited patiently, trying to remain calm as he saw a hairline crack make its way from the top of the cup to the base. He didn't know exactly what was causing the cup to act this way though he could give a pretty accurate guess since he had done a fair amount of research into the tournament and, consequently, the goblet as well. Therefore, he wasn't entirely surprised when a ball of flame detached itself from the giant pillar of flame and shot straight for him. He did his best to relax and willingly except the flames but it was not easy.

"Do not!" He heard Aili say, likely to Severus. He couldn't see anything beyond the angry red flames that had spread over his entire body but he heard what sounded like a struggle. He figured that Aili was trying to restrain his over protective guardian. "If you interfere he will die!"

It was true too. The only reason the goblet would be acting like this was if someone who was forbidden from entering the tournament had done something to try and ensure their entry. Since he hadn't actually done something like that, he could only assume that someone else had, which meant that it was likely part of Voldemort's plot to kidnap him and use his blood.

The goblet's evaluation seemed to take forever but the flames finally left his body and mind and coalesced into a ball above him. Harry collapsed to his knees, panting and exhausted from the unwelcomed intrusion into every corner of his being. In an instant Severus was at his side asking questions but Harry didn't hear him. His eyes tracked the progress of the fireball as it spread across the hall and rammed with a fury into Moody, sending him flying across the room and pinning him to the wall. A hair raising scream was ripped from the man's throat with brutal intensity. His false leg and whirling eye fell to the ground unharmed while the rest of his body contorted and bubbled underneath the vengeful flames.

"What is going on?" Someone demanded, Harry wasn't sure who.

"He," Harry started to say but stopped as his dry throat burned and smoke came from his lungs. Someone handed him a glass of water and he drank greedily. When he finished he spoke again. "He tampered with the goblet. Anyone who is a staff member or school official is forbidden from putting forth their names to compete in the tournament. Normally, any who do attempt to put forth their names are simply rejected as a combatant but this man," the name Moody no longer applied to the man screaming and writhing under the goblets retribution as he no longer looked like Moody. "Apparently tried to force the goblet into thinking that there is supposed to be four competing schools and placed my name under the fourth school."

"And being the owner of Hogwarts, you are forbidden from entering which caused the goblet to react," Severus said, finishing the thought as he helped Harry to stand.

"Exactly," Harry said as he brushed off his smoking robes and padded out the few places that been singed while he was on fire. "My question is who is that man for it is obvious that he isn't Alastor Moody." The man had now slumped to the floor, unconscious and no longer on fire. He had straw blond hair and milky white skin. Most of his clothing had gone, leaving only tattered remains that were still smoldering and his skin was severely burned in several places.

"Barty Crouch junior," Minerva supplied with no small amount of surprise.

"Didn't he die in Azkaban?" Severus questioned, looking between Minerva and Crouch senior.

"Doesn't really matter anymore," Harry said with a negligent shrug. "The goblet stripped him of his magic as penance for his transgression. He's a muggle and no threat to anyone." He bent down and picked up the flask he had seen Barty drinking out of several times. He opened it and cautiously sniffed the contents. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Professor," he said as he handed the flask over to Severus. "But I believe that that's Polyjuice."

Severus mirrored Harry's investigative sniffing. "You are correct and that means the real Mad-Eye has to be close. You," he continued casting a stern and unmovable look at Harry. "Are to go to the hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey to make sure no damage was done."

Harry just smiled and allowed himself to be ushered out of the hall by the fretting Pomfrey, followed quickly by Draco, Hermione, and Neville. The visit didn't take long. The worst he had was some slight smoke inhalation which was quickly cleared up with a few deft incantations from Poppy.

"What is it with you and trouble?" Draco griped as they made their way out of the hospital wing. He had his arm possessively around Harry's waist, holding him close but none of the others seemed bothered enough to comment. "Every year it's one thing or another."

"You're telling me," Harry said with an annoyed snort. "I can't even get a break during the summer."

"At least you weren't seriously hurt this time." Neville chipped in as he followed the other's up the stairs to Harry's tower. "That's got to count for something."

"I suppose," Harry sighed heavily as he sat down on his couch in front of the fire, resting comfortably in Draco's arms with his head on the blonds' shoulder. "I would just like a little peace for once."

"Not unreasonable," Hermione said as she took a chair. "Though highly unlikely given precedent."

Harry just harrumphed and crossed his arms while simultaneously burrowing deeper into Draco's comforting arms. In an attempt to distract themselves from the night's events, the four of them began conversing of random and inconsequential things. After an hour, Neville and Hermione were forced to leave to return to their towers unless they wanted to get caught out after hours. Draco remained behind for two reasons: one, he didn't want to leave Harry alone and two, Harry had actually fallen asleep in Draco's arms. Draco couldn't help the content smile that tugged on his lips. He placed a gentle and caring kiss on the top of Harry's unruly black locks and then slowly shifted them until they were lying down. Harry sighed and snuggled deeper into Draco's embrace, causing the blond to smile even more.

Draco had just started to doze off when he heard the door to the tower open. Peeking around the back of the couch without waking Harry, he saw that Severus was making his way across the room towards the couch. Draco felt a blush spread across his cheeks and he did his best to keep it from spreading. Severus reached the couch and promptly stared down at them with a raised eyebrow. Draco mimicked the look in a silent dare for the Potions Master to say something. The look turned into one of confusion when a faint smirk pulled at Severus' lips.

"What did Poppy say?" Severus whispered quietly so as to not wake Harry.

"Smoke inhalation," Draco responded in kind. He froze when Harry shifted and pulled Draco closer, deepening the blonds' blush. "And slight exhaustion."

_Nothing else?_ Severus signaled in sign language, something he had taught Draco at a young age so they could converse without being over heard. Narcissa had fully supported the lessons and had even insisted upon some of her own. It made keeping secrets at the manor from Lucius much easier. When Draco shook his head, Severus nodded in satisfaction. He conjured a light blanket and laid it over the pair and walked from the room. Severus' actions confused Draco. He would've expected a more vocal reaction to the obvious sign that he and Harry were in a budding relationship. Shaking off the strange encounter, Draco shifted and followed Harry into sleep, never loosening his hold on the raven-haired youth in his arms.

The next morning Harry woke to find himself pressed comfortably against something soft and warm and with a beating heart in his ear. The steady, rhythmic beating lulled him into a calm and passive state. He just lay there with his eyes closed, listening to the never-ending beat of life and enjoying the peace that it sang into his ears. Harry wasn't sure how long he had been lying like that but when the body beneath him shifted and the arms around him tightened, he allowed his eyes to open. Slowly, his brain became more awake and he registered his surroundings. The previous day's events flashed through his mind but he brushed them aside, not willing to let them intrude on this peaceful moment he was enjoying. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry noticed that the sky was just beginning to brighten with the early morning rays of dawn, which meant that classes wouldn't begin for another three hours.

Satisfied that he didn't have to move for some time, Harry relaxed and enjoyed the sensations of being held. It was a concept that he had never really experienced before, at least on this level. The previous two times he had woken up to find someone holding had been unusual indeed. The first had been right after he had killed Lucius, not the most pleasant of scenarios, and the second had been after a very enjoyable make out session and he had woken to find himself pinned beneath Draco in a very warm and welcoming embrace. This time was different though. Nothing had really inspired the embrace beyond a desire to be together and caring for each other. Sure, there had been unusual and dangerous events the previous day but not in such a way, that it would demand Harry needing comfort, nor had there been any hormone induced moments of passion and desire. There was just them.

"You really should learn to stop thinking so loud." Draco said with a small chuckle as he ran his fingers through Harry's messy hair, causing Harry to sigh in bliss.

"I didn't realize that thinking about how right this feels constituted as thinking too loud." Harry responded as he nuzzled against Draco's chest in a silent demand for more petting, much as he would if he were in his panther form. Draco chuckled and obliged. "Besides, thinking loudly is only possible when you don't have Occlumency shields."

"You don't have to be a Legilimens to see that you're wrapped up in deep thoughts." Draco retorted, even as his heart gave a strange jolt at what Harry said about this being right.

"Well," Harry said as he shifted to look Draco in the face. "I may have deep thoughts but you sir, talk too much."

Before the blond could respond, Harry pulled Draco into a gentle kiss. They both sighed into the kiss as it mutually deepened. Where their last kiss on this couch, so many months ago, had inspired a burning inferno of passion and desire, this one was slow and gentle, passionate but calm. Their tongues danced alongside each other as they explored the other's mouths and reveled in the taste that was unique to them. Their bodies pressed together with evidence of their arousal keenly displayed by the slight tenting in their trousers but neither of them took things any further, too content with what they were doing.

With their arms wrapped around each other, they became lost in their gentle kiss. They weren't sure how long they had been kissing but when they were finally forced to break for air, the sun had finally spread its morning rays over the sky and the stars were no longer visible. They lay there, gasping for breath and occasionally resuming the kiss. Their hearts raced in their chests, almost in perfect sync and singing a song of passion and desire.

"We have to get up," Draco said when he had caught his breath and his heart had calmed somewhat. "Classes will start soon." He added when Harry groaned in protest.

"It's my castle," Harry moaned, truly not desiring to leave the embrace. "Can't I declare a holiday or something?" His answer to that ridiculous notion was clear in Draco's ensuing laughter. "Prat!" He said with a small smile as he playfully slapped a hand on Draco's chest and gave a small shove.

–Scene Break–

The next few weeks passed peaceably. The real Mad-Eye had been located in a magical trunk in the fake's office. Defense had been put on hold for the time being until Moody recovered from his ordeal. Minerva had managed to talk the man into taking up the post at that time though how she did so was a mystery to many. The days past in eager anticipation as October turned to November and the first task was quickly approaching. The three champions were probably the most stressed students at the school. A reporter by the name of Rita Skeeter had been brought in to cover the tournament and the champions had to pose for pictures and give interviews.

Twice the woman had approached Harry, coyly batting her eyelashes behind her glasses and asked for an interview. The first time Harry was in the library with his friends and he had simply glared at the woman until she finally shifted uncomfortably and left without another word. The second time she had managed to pin Harry down in a deserted corridor, alone, and had rather abruptly started asking questions rather rapidly, not giving him a single opportunity to speak. She had continued for a few minutes before Harry snatched her floating quick quotes quill and note pad out of the air, snapped the quill, and stuffed the note pad into his pocket. He then calmly informed her that if she did not leave him alone he would have her drawn up on harassment charges and report her to the Ministry for being an unregistered animagus. Now, Harry had no way of knowing that she was unregistered and had merely taken a gamble on the knowledge that she was an animagus and her over all vindictive, journalistic nature. Needless to say, she hadn't bothered him after that.

Two nights before the tournament was scheduled to take place, Harry ventured out of the castle on the deathly silent paws of his panther form, which everyone had labeled shadow. He was unaware of an equally silent pair of yellow eyes that followed him through the air as he made his way towards the forest. Earlier that day Minerva had informed him that dragons were being brought in for the first task. Naturally, Harry's curiosity had been peaked and when the wards had alerted him that the dragons had crossed the boundaries along with a host of dragon tamers, he had silently left the castle.

When he reached the appointed area, Harry found a rare path of thick branches leading up to a sturdy perch among the pines' higher reaches. He watched quietly from his perch and not moving an inch aside from his tail that dangled beneath him and twitched idly back and forth. Just as the dragon wranglers came into sight, a very ridiculous thought popped into his brain and he was forced to hold back, what was likely to be very revealing, laughter. He had reminded himself of the Cheshire cat from the muggle fairy tale Alice in Wonderland, one of the very few books he had been able to read during the first ten years of life and one the Dursley's likely never even knew he had salvaged.

After shaking his fury head to clear the ridiculous notion from his head, Harry focused on what was happening below him. The dragon handlers were just setting down the three very large crates that contained the sleeping forms of the dragons. One unfortunate soul had set down his crate a little too roughly and jostled the dragon within and waking it from its magically induced slumber. The dragon roused groggily at first but upon realizing it was caged and in unfamiliar surroundings, it quickly went into a rage and started roaring and spewing fire through the slats in its cage and waking the other dragons in the other cages. As the handlers scrambled about, avoiding the shoots of fire and trying to regain order, Harry looked down to something else that had caught his eye.

Behind a large bush a safe distance away from the fiery breath of the dragons, stood Hagrid and Madam Maxime, the Headmistress of Beauxbatons. Harry couldn't help but snicker slightly at Hagrid's attempt to comb his hair and look handsome. He hadn't done a good job but Harry honestly felt sympathy for the man. If the happenings of third year hadn't happened then Harry would probably be even worse off than Hagrid. With a sigh, Harry turned his head back to the dragons, only to complete the arc to the other side of the clearing. His keen eyes easily identified the man hiding behind the trees as Igor Karkaroff, head of the Durmstrang institute.

_Well now this isn't fair,_ Harry thought silently to himself as his tail gave an agitated swish. Maxime was one thing; her presence was dictated by Hagrid's lovesick bumbling, though she would surely tell Fleur, but Karkaroff would place Hogwarts at a rather unfair disadvantage. _Cheating is a tradition after all._ He thought with a snicker as he turned to descend from the tree.

He paused as his eyes fell on a lone bat that was hanging above him a few trees away. It was wide-awake and staring directly at Harry. Had it been part of flock of bats and had the dragons not been making such a ruckus Harry would've been tempted ignore the bat but since it was alone and watching him and ignoring the dragons completely, the bat was rather out of place. This, of course, led Harry to the conclusion that it wasn't a bat at all. Harry smiled and shook his head as he leaped from branch to branch, closing in on the needle-covered ground. Once his paws touched down, Harry darted off at a quick pace back to the castle, looking no more than a shadow among shadows and invisible to all but the sharpest of eyes.

A day and a half later, Harry was cheering in the stands as Cedric Diggory successfully managed to distract his dragon with his glamour of a dog long enough to snatch the egg. Unfortunately, the dragon lost interest in the dog but Cedric still managed to escape relatively unscathed. All through the match, Harry was unable to keep the self-satisfied smirk off his face. The day after he discovered that the other combatants would know the first task before hand, Harry had succeeded in stealthily planting a note on Cedric without anyone else noticing. Not even Cedric had noticed, though he certainly had noticed the appearance of the note.

Once Cedric had safely gotten away, Fleur came out to deal with her dragon. She swayed and sang an enchanting song that lulled the dragon out of its temper and towards sleep. Unfortunately, she was too eager and made her move too soon. She managed to snatch the egg but had to do a fair amount of dancing to keep away from the dragon's raging feet, which ended up smashing the other eggs.

"She'll loose points for that," Draco commented from his seat next to Harry as they watched the girl run frantically out of range. "They weren't supposed to damage the other eggs."

"Yeah but that's not really surprising," Neville piped in. "She's a smart witch but too eager. She lets her pride and vanity get in the way of practical reasoning."

Harry nodded his head in agreement, as he watched Krum make his way out to face the third and final dragon. Krum actually seemed to be the most collected of the three champions and hung back a safe distance from the dragon, waiting for an opening. After a few minutes of waiting, Krum fired a spell that struck the dragon in the eye. The creature roared in agony and released a wild jet of flame that washed over the wards protecting the stands that the dragon handlers, judges, and Harry himself had helped to set up. Most of the students and spectators reflexively ducked out of the way. It was a good thing too because the wards failed. They held up against the flames for a few seconds but they unexpectedly shattered, allowing the flames to rush uninhibited into the stands.

Hermione, Draco, and Neville were the quickest to react, their reflexes being sharpened over the past few years along with the dueling classes they had been taking. They quickly set about casting pressurized jets of water from the tips of their wands in the direction of the flames. The teachers quickly followed suit while Harry attempted to reestablish the wards with the dragon wranglers. They succeeded briefly in restoring the wards but they quickly collapsed again. After a second attempt and a second collapse, Harry cast a wall of water between the stands and the competition area. The dragon's fire splashed against the wall causing the water to hiss and steam in protest but the wall held firm and protected the students. The teachers and judges quickly set about removing everyone from the stands while the dragon wranglers started subduing the injured dragon, Krum having long since escaped with his egg.


	21. Chapter 21: A Very Large Cat

**Disclaimer: **The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me

**A/N: **Ok! Here is the new update that would've gone to Brewing Storm but as that has been merged into The Heir it's going here. I hope everyone is making the transition ok. Please note that I am still working on updating the chapter titles and numbers so that they all flow consistently but I am moving right now so that is going to take some time. For now just enjoy the update and please please review and let me know what you guys think! I love all of my readers and reviewers and many of you have a tendency to make me laugh which makes my day.

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><p>CHAPTER EIGHT: A VERY LARGE CAT<p>

Harry sat in a chair in the corner of the Headmistress' office while everyone else argued over the day's events. The collapse of the wards protecting the spectators had raised many hairs. Thankfully, not many people were injured and those that were had been quickly patched up by Poppy. The parents that come to watch the event, mostly the parents of the students had been burned, were now in the office arguing with Minerva over the lack of safety measures being put into place while Minerva attempted to convince them that they had several precautions in place. The debate had been going on for the past four hours and neither side was making any headway whatsoever and Harry was beginning to get tired, not to mention annoyed. He hadn't even spoken during those four hours and the only reason he was there was because he was Lord of Hogwarts and had been involved the setting of the wards. Finally, when he had almost dozed off for the fifth time and when the parents again started complaining about the lack of safety at the school, Harry spoke up.

"Enough!" Harry snarled when the latest speaker had paused to take a breath. Everyone froze and turned to him, shocked that he was even there as several had forgotten his presence during the course of the argument. "This is going nowhere. Neither side will convince the other and both of you are missing one very crucial fact." Harry looked briefly to Severus, who gave a tiny nod as he knew where Harry was going with this. "The wards we had in place, for there were several, didn't just collapse, they were torn down. Someone deliberately pulled them down to achieve exactly this: doubt and distrust. We have all seen the signs and heard the whispers but most of you are ignoring them out of fear." Here Harry looked in particular at the parents. "The Death Eaters are moving and reorganizing. Just because you decide to ignore that fact does not make it cease to exist."

"Mister Potter," the Minister, Cornelius Fudge spoke up. "The collapse of the wards has nothing to do with any supposed Death Eater activity."

"Yes and it just so happens to be one massive coincidence that a group of Death Eaters terrorized the Quidditch World Cup and another Death Eater, who should be dead according to Ministry Records, disguised themselves as a highly accomplished ex-Auror so they could infiltrate the castle and try and force me to compete in the tournament." Harry said in a sarcastic tone and a dramatic roll of his eyes. "I suppose that it's an even bigger coincidence that someone tried to harm the students by tearing down wards that I personally helped set up."

"Well no wonder they failed!" One of the parents, one Harry didn't know the name of and didn't like at all, spoke up. "You let children run around playing at being adults when they should be in a classroom practicing kiddy spells."

"I can assure you, sir, that I do not _play_ at anything," Harry said darkly as he struggled to remain in his seat. "As Lord of Hogwarts, I must approve and be involved with everything in this tournament in order to assure the safety of everyone that resides in _my_ castle." He specifically claimed Hogwarts as his in order to remind everyone of his station in society while simultaneously stating that he and he alone wielded more power than anyone else in the room. It worked too. Several of the parents had blanched and even Fudge shifted nervously. "I assure you that that is not a task I take… _lightly_. If you still doubt me sir, I can always demonstrate just how skilled I am with warding something." It was subtle but Harry's threat was still heard and no one bothered to speak against him again.

"Do you at least know who might have torn down the wards?" Another parent dared to ask. This one was a mother and one of the more reasonable parents in the room. It took a second but Harry eventually remembered her name as Mrs. Fields.

"Not yet but it had to have been someone with an intimate knowledge of which wards were used and how they interacted with each other." Harry explained, bringing his voice back to a more neutral and conversational tone. "This of course implies that it is someone who helped to put them up, which at least narrows our list of people to look at. Unfortunately, since we have been cooped up here all day, we have not had a chance to question anybody."

"A valid point, Mr. Potter," Minerva said respectfully. "It is late and we should all take to our beds. I assure you all that when we find something out about who has done this, you will be informed immediately."

A couple of people grumbled but nobody dared to speak out with the volatile Lord in the room so they all dutifully either flooed home or otherwise left the office. Harry remained in his chair for several minutes, rubbing the bridge of his nose, an act reminiscent of Severus when he was annoyed with something. Harry remained like that and quiet as Fudge spoke a few words to Minerva before stepping into the fireplace and flooing back to the Ministry.

"Perhaps you could have spoken up sooner," Severus remarked when everyone else had left. "It would've saved us all hours of arguing."

Harry couldn't help but break out laughing at that. "Probably but as you saw people still have problems accepting the fact that I'm not just some idle student."

"True enough," Severus conceded with a small nod. "The question remains, however. Who tore down the wards?"

"I don't know," Harry said shaking his head, completely at a loss. "I've had the wards search the castle several times. Everyone in the castle is who they're supposed to be, which means it's someone we know and who isn't posing as someone else."

"That's not exactly a small list," Minerva spoke up from her place behind her desk. She looked weary and tired, just like they all were. "The entire staff was involved with erecting those wards, not to mention the judges and dragon tamers."

"I don't think anyone on the staff had anything to do with it." Harry mused as he rubbed his forehead. "Most of the teachers have been at Hogwarts for years and put the students above anyone else. Other countries never got involved with the Dark Lord and the backgrounds we did didn't reveal anything that might lead to involvement with the Death Eaters."

"That doesn't mean they can't be newly recruited," Alastor Moody growled, he had been released from the hospital wing a few days prior to the first task.

"Unfortunately," Harry agreed with a sigh. His gaze drifted to Severus as he continued. "I guess we have no other choice but to wait and see if we can catch them before they do anything else." Severus got a sour look at the reference Harry made. They both knew what the 'anything else' was that Harry was referring too and they both knew the odds of this unknown threat being caught any time soon.

"I don't want you going anywhere alone." Severus said, his onyx eyes narrowed. "That includes Hogsmeade trips."

"Not really an issue," Harry said with a shrug. He was almost always surrounded by his friends. "Though to be honest I don't particularly want to risk them getting caught as well."

"I want you back in the dungeons as well but you are actually safer in your tower with your guard," Severus added, mostly to himself. "Do you still keep Orpheus with you?"

Harry nodded even as Minerva spoke up. "Would either of you care to explain just what it is that you're talking about?" She didn't sound particularly happy at being kept out of the loop and frankly Harry didn't blame her. He always hated it when people didn't tell him things as well.

"We believe the recent spike in Death Eater activity is because the Dark Lord is becoming active once more." Severus answered since Harry yawned and didn't seem particularly interested in answering. "We're not sure how but he is still out there and we have managed to discover that he is after Harry in order to regain full power."

"That's not entirely true," Harry interrupted with a slight wince at both his forgetfulness in informing Severus and the recollection of that foul book. "We do know how he has survived all these years or rather _I _do. I have not said anything because one thing or another has always interfered and I end up forgetting. The past two years have been rather hectic after all."

"Care to share?" Severus asked. Sharp annoyance pierced Harry's Occlumency shields but there was a grudging acceptance there as well. Harry had spoken the truth; the last two years had been very distracting.

"Nif," Harry called and the elf instantly popped into the bow. "Please retrieve the glass box." The elf quickly popped away without a word, understanding fully what box Harry was referring to, and returned seconds later with the glass box containing the destroyed diary. "This diary, the one the possessed Ginny Weasley in second year, is a very disgusting object called a Horcrux." Harry stood up and handed the container over to Severus. "Given that this one is destroyed and yet Voldemort is still a threat, it would stand to reason that there are others."

"I was unaware that _this_ was what possessed Miss Weasley." Severus said as he eyed the offensive thing in complete distaste. Being a dabbler in the darker side of magic, he was quite aware of what a Horcrux was and it was quite obvious that he was unhappy about it as well. "And how did you discover what it was?"

"A very foul and disgusting book," Harry explained with a shudder and a hand on his queasy stomach. "One I will not share. Not to mention Kane recognized the magic and informed me what it was." He took a few minutes to quell both his stomach and the tide of memories of that hideous book. "The point is though, if we can find out how many of these things are and where they are hidden then we can rid ourselves of Riddle once and for all. It also proves that he is not quite as invulnerable as he would like everyone to believe."

"What exactly is a Horcrux?" Minerva questioned, never having heard of such a thing as she was a witch firmly planted on the side of the Light.

"It is an object a witch or wizard chooses to house a piece of their soul," Severus explained when Harry remained tightlipped because of his churning stomach. "I do not know much about them but I do know that murder must be performed in order to fracture the soul. However, from Harry's reactions, I would surmise that the precise details are a little more… vile."

"An understatement but accurate nonetheless," Harry said as he shook his head to rid himself of the memories of that book and its contents. "Unfortunately, for the time being all we can do is speculate. The objects could be anything, from a necklace to an ink bottle. Until we manage to obtain further information all we can do is sit back and let events play out and do our best to mitigate the damage done. Now, if you'll excuse me, it is late and I am tired. Unless you wish to keep that Severus, you may have Nif return it from where he got it."

"I will," Severus assured as he watched Harry walk out of the office, not wanting the object to remain in his possession for any length of time.

–Scene Break–

"_My lord, please!" A man Harry recognized as Barty Crouch Jr. screamed as he writhed under the Cruciatus. Harry was standing in the middle of a dusty and sparsely furnished room with a fire place that had a roaring fire going. He didn't recognize the room but he did recognize the fact that he was having a vision and the clearest one he had ever experienced. He noticed the hooded man off to the side of the room but still was unable to make out any identifying features as only his hands were visible. Harry's biggest question right now though, was what, how, and why was Barty Jr. here? The last Harry had checked, the man was nothing more than a muggle, completely un-magical in every way due to the punishment the Goblet of Fire enacted upon him for trying to force Harry into the tournament. The man should also have been in prison since Fudge almost instantly had the man carted off. _

"_You failed me Crouch!" Voldemort hissed, sending revolting shivers down Harry's spine. "You failed to force Potter into the tournament."_

"_My lord, I swear I had no idea the Goblet would react the way it did." Crouch begged when Voldemort had ended his latest round of torture. "I did everything as planned. I cast a spell to make the Goblet think that there were supposed to be four schools and then I placed Potter's name under that school. There was no way he shouldn't have been chosen. I swear! I do not know what went wrong."_

"_If I may Milord," the hooded figured spoke respectfully with a bow to the chair in which sat Voldemort, though Harry couldn't actually see that. Frankly he had no inclination to move to see the apparently very short figured form Voldemort had taken. The only reason he thought the figure was short because he couldn't see a head or legs from his position. "I might know what went wrong." The second time the man spoke was when Harry noticed that something was wrong with his voice. It seemed… fractured if that were possible. It was rough, almost like gravel moving as someone stepped on it and there were unnatural pauses, like he had trouble speaking and had to force the words from his throat. Another oddity Harry noticed was that the man refrained from moving as much as possible. _

"_Speak," Voldemort hissed, omitting the figures name, much to Harry's chagrin. He wanted to know who the man was because it might give him a few leads to hunt down. _

"_The man may have failed because Potter is the owner of Hogwarts. No school official is allowed to participate in the tournament." No new information there. Harry already knew that, though he supposed it was something to know that his enemy knew but honestly it wasn't that important. Ever since second year the papers had been rampant with the information. _

"_And you did not mention this before because…" Voldemort said dangerously and fingering his wand threateningly. _

"_I did not know until I did research into the matter when we discovered the failure," the man explained with only the slightest hint of fear in his fractured and damaged voice. "I also went to another old colleague who is close to the tournament. He tried to run but a well placed Imperius has him well within our power." Harry's ears perked up at that. _This_ was valuable information, now if they would only mention the name. "As I understand it he managed to cause the wards of the first task to collapse, sowing doubt of the other's capabilities in protecting the students. I have told him to do nothing more until he receives instructions from us."_

"_Such initiative my slippery friend," Voldemort laughed menacingly. Harry could hear a slight note of displeasure to the Dark Lord's voice but he was apparently satisfied that they now had another mole, one who was close enough to the tournament like they wanted. "Perhaps the situation can still be salvaged." Voldemort snapped off a spell and Crouch Jr. went limp and docile, evidence of the Imperius curse. _

Harry woke with a start and with a slightly disappointed sigh. That vision, as uncomfortable as it had been, was one of the most informative to date. Well, more like the most straightforward one. Little information had actually been gained but still. It was something. He had a few more clues of where to look for this new mole, though not much. The person was apparently a former Death Eater and one who did not want to join up again at that.

Harry's first thought had actually been Severus but he just as quickly tossed the idea. Severus was not only an accomplished Occlumens and therefore could have resisted an Imperius, especially if the caster was not near to continuously enforce it, but the man wouldn't have tried to run. Rather, he would have tried to gain whatever information he could from the situation and then either provided the illusion that he would willingly assist his old allegiances or try and capture whoever had approached him. There was also the factor that if either had occurred, he would have kept Harry informed. Harry felt the man's emotions for him and there was no way he would allow Harry to be blindsided like that.

This left very few people left to consider and only one when Harry considered the information that the mole was a former Death Eater who was close to the tournament. Harry quickly got out of bed and got dressed. The sun was rising and breakfast would begin in a few hours and Harry was thankful that it was the weekend, three days after the first task. It allowed him to spend most of the day discussing things with Severus. Once he was dressed appropriately, Harry quickly left his room, turning into Shadow as he went so he could move faster. He moved on silent paws out of his tower and into the secret passage that connected with the emergency tunnels that honeycombed the castle. Within mere minutes, Harry was human again and knocking on Severus' private chambers.

"Harry?" Severus said in mild surprise when he opened his door to find the teen standing there, looking calm but showing small signs of anxiety. Like the flexing of his fingers, as if he were wishing his wand was in his hand. "What's wrong?"

"I had a dream last night," Harry said quietly, wondering why the man hadn't invited him in yet. Usually, Severus gestured Harry into his quarters straight away when he realized that it was Harry who had come to visit. "I managed to glean a few pieces of information."

"I see," Severus said in understanding, remembering the dreams Harry had that led them to performing the blood rituals during the summer. The man hesitated a moment longer, something Harry did not miss in the slightest, before he stepped aside and allowed Harry to enter the privacy of his rooms.

Harry stepped into the room and promptly froze in his tracks, even with his mouth halfway open as he had been about to continue speaking. There, at Severus' table where he usually ate breakfast, was none other than Remus Lupin, who was looking curiously disheveled. Harry's lips twitched madly but he managed to maintain a straight face as he resumed walking and took the empty seat. His eyes danced with knowing amusement as he looked between Remus and Severus and he was forced to hide a smile behind his hand as he scratched his cheek. He noticed several telling signs on both of his teachers: ruffled hair, small blushes, and even a bruising bite mark on Remus' neck that was quickly concealed by the wolf's collar.

"What was your dream about?" Severus asked leadingly, not missing Harry's amusement but not comfortable with commenting on it, though he did level a small glare at the teen.

Harry quickly turned his attention towards the serious matter and laid out the dream in precise detail, even detailing what the cloaked figure sounded like and how he acted. He ended with, "The only person I can really think of that would fit the parameters I overheard is Igor Karkaroff. He's a former Death Eater, he's been rather skittish ever since he got here and I can see him trying to run from his former comrades, he's close to the tournament, and he was involved with setting up the wards that collapsed during the first task."

"Hmmm," Severus hummed in thought as he processed the troublesome news. "Yes he would fit. He turned over several inner circle members so he wouldn't be too keen on getting involved with the recent activity. He's also the only other ex-Death Eater in the castle that I can think of aside from myself. Unfortunately, even if he is the culprit, we can do nothing about it at this juncture. The Imperius is nearly impossible to detect, especially if someone is particularly apt at casting it, and we have nothing more to go on but hearsay and speculation. There is also the factor that he is the Headmaster of one of Europe's prominent schools."

"That may be, but we can at least keep an eye on the man," Remus interjected after taking a sip of his tea. "Make sure he doesn't tamper with anything else."

"Agreed," Harry said with a nod. "I've already set the wards to monitoring his actions but I don't think it will matter much."

"Why?" Remus asked in confusion. His gaze shifted from Harry to Severus when the other man spoke instead of Harry.

"Because the Dark Lord is anything but unintelligent," he said with a grimace. "After Crouch's failure and then the collapse of the wards during the task he will undoubtedly suspect that at least a few people are suspicious about a mole. He will not risk jeopardizing his chances of getting Harry into his clutches and will have Karkaroff, if it is him, sit back and wait until the time is right. Our only advantage right now is we know the full extent of his plan's and have already taken precautions against it."

"There are a few other advantages as well," Harry said, fingering his necklace, his emergency portkey that would work anytime, anywhere, and transport him back to Hogwarts. "What I really want to know though, is who that hooded figure is? From what I understand, any devout fanatics of Riddle's are locked tight in Azkaban, aside from Crouch, who isn't that much of a threat anymore."

"He is probably a new recruit and likely one who is practiced in the Dark Arts." Severus said, though he didn't sound very sure of himself. In fact, to Harry it sounded like he was trying to _convince_ himself that it was a new recruit. Harry wasn't sure what to make of that but he let it go. For now.

"_Mmmmm,_" a murmured hiss from under Harry's collar indicated that Orpheus had finally woken, which was surprising given that they had been talking for almost an hour. "_Do I smell sausages?_" Naturally, Harry's response was to burst out laughing. It never failed. If ever there were Hogwarts' sausages around and Orpheus had just woken, the first thing out of his mouth was that very question or something similar to it. When his laughing fit had subsided, Harry explained his mirth and introduced Orpheus to Remus as the two had yet to actually meet.

–Scene Break–

The next few weeks passed peaceably for everyone at Hogwarts. The student's attention span was growing shorter and shorter as the holidays approached and the teachers didn't even bother to try and hold it during the last few days. Not even Severus tried, seeing the futility in it all. They all just assigned menial work to keep the students busy and just let the classes go by. Actually, the only teachers who managed to teach their students anything during the week before Christmas break were the Martial Arts, Dueling, and Fencing classes. Being physically demanding classes that were semi fast paced, they held the students attention perfectly.

When classes finally did end, the students all began yammering about the Yule Ball that was approaching. It was a traditional part of the tournament and everyone was both excited and nervous. Harry was torn between interested and scared. He knew whom he would ask if he wanted to go but he wasn't sure if he did want to go. He had never been one for large social gatherings, always preferring to hide in the shadows like he usually did. Sure there were meals in the Great Hall but few people actually paid him any attention, barring the first and second years of course but once people had gotten used to the thought of him as a Slytherin and then owner of Hogwarts, the stares and whispered had died down. There were scattered incidences of the next two years, Black and then the Goblet, that caused more gossip but aside from that, people actually didn't pay him that much attention.

A dance on the other hand, was entirely different. It was specifically designed for socialization and enjoyment, two things that Harry really didn't excel at. He had his small group of friends and he was perfectly content to leave it at that. There was also the factor that Harry's idea of fun didn't involve _dancing_, which he had NO clue how to do. His idea of fun included brewing, reading a good book, and hanging out with his friends. Nowhere on that list did it state that he enjoyed fumbling around on a dance floor and making a fool of himself.

Harry picked his head up and cocked his ears when he heard the spiral staircase start moving, indicating that someone was coming up to his tower. Unconcerned, Harry laid his head back down on his furry paws and went back to staring into the flames of the fire he was laying in front of. Only those he trusted were allowed in his tower and the guardians wouldn't allow anyone past unless they had cleared it with him first. A few seconds ticked by before his tower door opened and Harry caught Draco's scent. His tail twitched happily but he didn't bother getting up from his comfortable position on the floor in front of the fire.

"Harry?" Draco asked when he saw the black panther laying on the rug. Harry flicked his tail in response and glanced at the blond, still rather absorbed in his thoughts. "Something wrong?" Harry shook his head in a very animalistic manner. He honestly had no real reason to being in his animagus form aside from the added warmth it provided and the relief from his empathy, which had been gaining in strength like it usually did when the full moon approached. "Full moon?" Draco asked, voicing Harry's thoughts as he sat down on the floor next to the panther, who purred and laid his head on the blonds' thigh. Draco knew how Harry's magic increased in strength as the moon approached its peak and as a result his empathy tended to grow too strong to be constrained by his Occlumency shields.

The two of them sat like that for some time in companionable silence. Draco started stroking Harry's fur, causing the animagus to start purring louder. Harry's muscles turned to butter and his thoughts melted away under Draco's petting and his eyes became lidded. He had even started to drift off into a light doze but became more alert when Draco stopped. Harry looked up to see some slight apprehension to the silver eyes of his boyfriend. It was then that Harry realized that the two of them had been together for almost a full year. So much had been going on that it hadn't felt like a year and he had completely forgotten about their upcoming anniversary.

"Harry," Draco started and Harry smelled nervousness rolling off the blond. "I understand you aren't the biggest social bug but I was wondering if you wanted to go to the Yule Ball with me."

Harry purred as he transformed and pulled Draco close, feeling inexplicably happy. "You realize I couldn't dance to save my life."

"I'll take that as a yes," Draco said with a smile as he leaned in to kiss Harry, who practically melted into those addictive lips. "As for the dancing," he continued as he pulled away and dragged Harry to his feet. "That can be easily rectified."

Draco began moving Harry through the basic waltz, something every pureblood child is taught from an early age. Harry was startled at first but his surprise turned into shock as he easily moved through the steps at Draco's lead. His feet seemed to move without any direction from him. He flowed with Draco, easily sliding through the steps and hardly stumbling. The more they danced, the less mistakes Harry made and Draco moved them into more complicated steps.

"You're a natural," Draco breathed as they ended their dance.

"Helps to have a good instructor," Harry panted as his heart raced in his chest. The dance had truly been enthralling and one of the more exhilarating experiences he'd ever had. Draco merely chuckled at the compliment and pulled them down to the couch where they sat enjoying each other's presence until the sun had sunk to the horizon and they both wandered off to their perspective beds for sleep.

A little over a week later on Christmas night, Harry stood in the doorway of a room in his tower wearing elegant black dress robes, complete with a black under shirt and black tie. It was at the very base of the tower, well beneath the dungeons and the emergency tunnels that honeycombed the castle. Harry had discovered the room the summer before third year during one of his nightly wanderings when he couldn't sleep after killing Lucius. It truly was a sight to behold but at the time he discovered it, he had merely passed it over, completely unconcerned with the contents. Now, however, Harry stared at the sparkling wonders in fascination.

Hundreds of objects were laid out before him. Earrings, necklaces, crowns, rings, and hundreds of others were scattered throughout the room and all of them were obviously family heirlooms. Godric's sword was displayed on a shelf and sparkled in the light. There was a necklace that looked like two intertwining snakes that gripped an emerald in both their mouths. A pair of earrings looked like ravens with sapphire eyes. The most curious object to Harry was the solid gold badger that sat on one of the shelves. It was obviously a likeness of Edana and that tickled Harry's curiosity as to where the wayward familiar was. She was the only one that had yet to approach Harry and he hadn't even seen her lurking around. As far as Harry could tell, the badger had completely ignored the call that the founders had sent out during his first year to alert them that their heir had been chosen.

Shaking his head to clear his wandering thoughts, Harry went over to one of the shelves and picked up a silver circlet that had caught his eye. As his fingers made contact, the simple looking and slightly feminine headdress shifted and morphed until it was more masculine. Given that he could feel magic radiating from everything in the room, Harry wasn't entirely surprised by the shift. The thin strands of silver became thicker and the whole thing expanded slightly to compensate for his larger head. The strands shifted enough to depict the lunar cycle, with the full moon in the center where Harry's forehead would be. It didn't become gaudy, to which Harry was thankful for, but it did become more prominent.

He went over to a mirror that was in the room and placed the circlet on his head. The band shifted again to sit more firmly on his head so it wouldn't slide around. It also shifted so that the half moon on the waning side was centered on his head. Harry cocked an eyebrow at that but didn't really think it significant. Weird and interesting, yes, but not overly important… at least not yet since he didn't know the full extent of the circlet's magical properties. That being said, even without magic the circlet managed to make Harry's wild hair, which usually stood up everywhere, look calm and more manageable. It still stood up in the strangest of places but with the band around his head, his hair looked more like a flowing black river rather than a rat's nest.

Satisfied, Harry went over to a different piece of jewelry and picked it up before leaving the room. He left his tower all together and quickly made his way down to the Great Hall where the Yule Ball was going to start in less than twenty minutes. He managed to reach the hall just as Draco was coming up from the dungeons. The blond was wearing dark blue robes that brought out his silver eyes and made him look like a moving pillar of water that rose from the depths of the ocean. Harry smiled when he saw Draco and made his way over to his boyfriend.

"I see the Slytherin Prince has robes to match his station," Harry teased with a smirk as he kept his gift concealed in the folds of his dress robes while extending his other hand to Draco.

Draco sniffed in mock disdain as he took Harry's hand and walked next to him into the Great Hall. "I'm a pureblood Potter. No pureblood is without a set of dress robes."

"Yet he appears to be lacking the appropriate jewelry," Harry said with a chuckle as he sat down at the Head Table next to Severus who sat next to Minerva. At such an event it was normal for the owner to sit with the staff and champions.

"Please," Draco drawled in a bored tone that only served to make Harry smirk. "I have plenty of adornments. I simply felt no inclination to bother sorting through it all to find something to match my outfit."

"So you wouldn't be interested in this little bauble then?" Harry questioned casually as he allowed his gift to dangle from his fingers. It was a gorgeous silver necklace chain with dragon dangling from it. The majestic creature was crafted to look as if it were standing on a level plain. It stood tall and proud, looking every bit a regal king and in its mighty claw was a large pearl that was the size of Draco's knuckle. "I guess I'll just leave it in my pocket then."

"Don't you dare!" Draco said as he reached out to grip Harry's arm to prevent him from stowing the necklace away. "Where did you get this?"

"Just a family heirloom," Harry explained quietly as he slipped the silver chain over Draco's head. "And a belated gift for our anniversary."

"Harry…" Draco said, unable to think of a response due to his shock. Harry, who had so little to give despite his social status, wealth, and fame, had just given him a priceless heirloom from one of the founders. Draco honestly had no idea what to say to that but was prevented from having to say anything as the doors opened to the Great Hall and they all stood to greet the champions who entered with their dates.

–Scene Break–

The Yule Ball passed without incident. The students and faculty of all three schools enjoyed themselves. Severus, while he was more relaxed than he usually was, refrained from allowing anyone to witness anything less than his usual scowl. Towards the end of the ball though, when there were few people left in the hall, Remus finally managed to drag the surly and stiff Potions Master out onto the dance floor, much to Draco's and Harry's amusement.

After the ball, classes resumed and the days began to blur into weeks. It wasn't long the second task was approaching and the school was once again on the edge of anticipation and excitement. February 24th arrived fairly quickly and everyone had gathered at the lake where the second task was set to take place. The spectators all gathered in the stands to watch. Many looked apprehensive, remembering the catastrophe that was the first task, and were ready to move at a moment's notice should anything happen again.

Harry wasn't expecting anything though. His dream after the first task had said that Voldemort was planning on remaining quiet for a while. However, that didn't mean he wasn't tense. Dreams aside, Harry could very easily be wrong and since he didn't have any dream visions between the first task and now, there could be something planned that he wasn't aware of. Severus, who was standing next to Harry behind the judges' stand, was as tense as Harry. They both expected something to go wrong, which is why they had the blood wards that protected the castle on high alert, watching everything and waiting to leap into action should they be needed. Harry could feel his holy and phoenix feather wand tense in its holster as well; ready to slip into his hand at the slightest twitch of Harry's hand.

Thus, it was with no small amount of surprise and relief when the champions came back out of the water. Fleur had failed the task, Cedric had returned first with his hostage, and Krum came in second with Hermione, whom he had taken to the Yule Ball. Once the champions had received their marks, a host of merpeople came out of the lake with Fleur's little sister, much to the French girl's relief. Harry didn't relax until everyone had returned to the castle. Then, and only then, did Harry sooth the castle wards into relaxing from their tense state, though he still had them watching for any suspicious activities.

The next four months passed in suspicious silence that did nothing to ease the tension from those in the know. Harry, Hermione, Draco, and Neville (and Luna whenever she decided to pop up) spent countless hours speculating over what could possibly be done to prevent the Dark Lord from getting his hands on Harry. None of them could come up with anything that hadn't already been done. Even Severus couldn't think of anything. The wards never reported any suspicious activity from Karkaroff. He never came into contact with any hooded or suspicious figures while on the grounds and Harry couldn't track him when he went into Hogsmeade without arousing suspicion.

So, it was a very tense quartet that sat together in the Quidditch stands overlooking the giant maze that had been grown there for the final task on June 24th. The sun was halfway below the horizon and the champions had been in the maze for over an hour. While watching the task progress, Harry kept an eye on Karkaroff out of the corner of his eye as well as through the wards. As far as Harry could tell, the man was doing nothing out of the ordinary. His eyes rarely left the maze, which wasn't entirely odd considering he was a judge. Harry's eyes drifted to Severus, who was patrolling the edges of the maze with a few other staff members. He noticed that the man was watching Karkaroff as much as he was watching the champions. Not surprising really but it did comfort Harry slightly to know that others were watching out for him.

Harry twitched minutely when a girl's terrified screech pierced the night air. He looked towards the maze to see Fleur become overwhelmed by one of Hagrid's pets that Hogwarts' students had been helping to raise all year; a Blast-Ended Skrewt. Harry truly felt for the girl. Those things were horrid creatures and Harry still had a few scars from dealing with those things. He was just glad that the menaces weren't naturally bread and had only been bred by Hagrid specifically for the tournament.

Just as one of the teachers on patrol came to the girl's aid, Cedric Diggory managed to grab the cup and the hedge maze vanished along with the creatures that had been commissioned for the task. Everyone stood up and started cheering, though the other two schools were a little less enthusiastic. Harry stood with the rest of the Hogwarts' students and cheered right along with them. Everyone started flooding the Quidditch pitch and when they got close enough, the Hufflepuff house lifted Cedric onto their shoulders. The sixth year turned bright red but he was very obviously happy. Ludo Bagman was talking in an amplified voice, announcing their champion, but no one paid him any mind as it was quite obvious who had won.

Harry lingered on the edge of the crowd with Severus and the others, honestly seeing no need to join in the celebration. He was still very tense. The lack of action of his enemies had him on edge. He didn't like it when they were quiet when he _knew_ that they had something planned. He kept his eyes glued to Karkaroff as much as possible in the shifting mass of people, waiting for him to do something. He never did though, as far as Harry could tell. Even the wards didn't register anything.

Finally, after probably ten minutes, the excitable crowd of students began making their way back towards the castle. Hufflepuff still supported Cedric on their shoulders and there would no doubt be a celebration in the common room long into the night. The other students would likely be celebrating too and Harry thought he might join the Slytherin's once he was certain everything was safe and secure. Before he could contemplate that line of thought any further, Harry noticed Krum approaching. Figuring that the famous seeker wanted to talk with his girlfriend, Harry moved to walk around, as did the others while Hermione lingered since she also assumed Krum wanted to speak with her.

Harry instantly recognized his mistake. Just as he was passing Krum, the seeker wrapped his fingers around Harry's wrist. Harry had just managed to draw his wand and was in the process of putting the wards on lockdown when he felt the familiar pull of a portkey. Harry tried to fight the pull of the portkey but didn't have the magical strength to push the device off. When they landed though, Harry reacted immediately. He blasted Krum away with a stunner. Unfortunately, that was all he could do as seconds later he was hit with a spell that flung him into something and bound him there. His head had cracked against whatever he had been bound to and he ended up dazed and nearly unconscious.

Desperate and knowing he was in danger, Harry valiantly fought to regain his bearings. He was aided when a flash of fire startled him into opening his eyes. He was still very light headed and dizzy but he could at least get a feel for his surroundings. He saw several headstones indicating he was in a graveyard, which wasn't comforting in the slightest. A few feet in front of him was a giant cauldron sat over a fire and was just in time to witness the hooded figure from his dreams drop a disfigured body into the roiling liquid. Still very much dazed, Harry only just managed to figure out that the disfigured thing was likely a temporary body for Voldemort. He watched as the figure summoned a bone from a nearby grave and dropped it into the fire as well. Then Crouch Jr. came up and hesitantly, but quickly, sliced off his right hand.

A little disturbed, Harry tired to fight through the haze that was clouding his mind so he could think. But he couldn't. Something was off. He felt delirious and rather drunk, though he had never indulged in alcohol before. It was getting worse too. Bound and still rather dazed, Harry could only watch as the hooded figure approached him with the same knife Crouch had used to sever his hand. He could only watch as the man bent down and dug the blade into his skin only to freeze in shock. There was a long gash in Harry's forearm but there was no blood. Not one single drop could be seen flowing in Harry's veins. Oh, there were veins and you could even see the layers of Harry's muscles but not one spec of blood could be found.

"Sorry," Harry laughed in his delirious state. "But you won't be getting any blood from me. It's all gone somewhere where you can't reach it."

"Fool!" The man rasped in his broken voice. "What have you done?" The man backhanded Harry when all he did was laugh. As he did so, his hood fell back to reveal a scarred but very recognizable face.

"Why Lucius," Harry giggled deliriously. Were he even the least bit coherent and not feeling completely drunk he would have been stunned, shocked beyond any speech at all to see the man he thought he had killed, alive and walking around. As it was, he could only laugh. "Is that fear I hear? Dost thou shiver at the thought of failing thy demented master?" Harry wasn't entirely certain why he had started speaking in old English but he frankly didn't care. Besides, it sounded funny to him.

"Crucio!" Lucius barked, thrusting a wand at Harry.

Harry felt the curse, yet didn't feel it at the same time. He felt detached from the pain but at the same time was aware that the pain from the curse was greatly reduced somehow. Instead of all consuming and blinding pain throughout his entire body, it was more like having a bad and really large sunburn all over his body. As a result, Harry merely stopped laughing but easily ignored the pain, much to the surprise of Lucius. Actually, the pain helped to clear Harry's head a little and he madly tried to start thinking but the curse ended too soon and he became swallowed by the giddy delirium that had consumed his brain for some reason. It was once again lightened when Lucius stabbed his knife into Harry's left thigh just to make sure that he couldn't get any blood at all. The pain was great, as it pierced his thigh bone, but it was lessened by the drunken feeling he was experiencing.

"If I cannot have yours," Lucius snarled as best he could with his damaged vocal cords. "I will use another's."

The blond man walked over to Krum, who was still unconscious from Harry's stunner. He dug his blade into the seeker's arm and came up with blood in a vial he had in his other hand. Lucius quickly walked back over to the cauldron and completed the ritual. Harry tried to remain coherent throughout it all, knowing he needed to be aware, but the strength of whatever had come over him was immeasurable and he couldn't fight. He watched in giddy disgust as the enormous cauldron began emitting great sparks in every direction. It was so blinding and bright that it blotted everything else out. Hardly aware of what was going on; Harry watched as the sparks suddenly extinguished themselves and massive amounts of steam spewed forth from the cauldron and enveloped everything until all he could see was the white smoke. As it began to dissipate, a tall figure could be seen standing in the middle of the cauldron.

–Scene Break–

The minute Harry vanished from sight the castle and wards grumbled in agitation at having their lord abducted and being unable to do anything about it. Severus barely noticed as he bolted towards the castle and cornered Karkaroff against the wall outside the Great Hall.

"Severus! What're you-" Karkaroff started to demand but was cut off as Severus slammed him into the wall.

"Where did you send him?" Severus demanded icily, ignoring the gathering crowd.

"I haven't the faintest idea of-" this time it wasn't Severus who had cut the man off but the castle. A stone soldier jumped off his stand against the wall and slid a rather sharply edged ax under the man's chin and pressed it against his throat.

"I suggest you answer the question Igor," Severus purred dangerously, shoving aside his surprise at the unexpected display of intelligence on the castle's part. "The castle might not let you live otherwise."

"I… didn't…" Karkaroff seemed to be struggling with what he was saying. Severus figured he was trying to fight the Imperius he was under. "Have choice… Portkey… Hangleton… Graveyard."

Severus growled and whirled away. He didn't have the faintest idea where this Hangleton graveyard was but that wasn't going to slow him down. He started to make his way down to the dungeons to check on the glass container they had set up but stopped when his arm flared. It seared with the force of a white hot brand. Severus sucked in his breath and clutched his arm. Forcing the pain into the back of his mind, Severus dashed from the castle walls, not even bothering with his Death Eater garb.

–Scene Break–

"Let us see how many dare to return," Voldemort hissed as he took the tip of his wand from the mark on Lucius' arm.

"Considering most are in prison," Harry mocked with a laugh. His delirium was beginning to shift into something else, something greater. "I wouldn't count on much fanfare."

Voldemort hissed a sickening laugh as he approached Harry and towered over him. "You are very brave for one in your position. Tell me," the Dark Lord crouched down to eye level with Harry. "How does it feel to know you are the one to return me to full power?" To Voldemort's complete surprise, Harry began to laugh. He laughed loud and hard. It was rich with mockery and superiority.

"There isn't a drop of my blood in that hideous mockery you call a body," Harry grinned a bloody grin in triumph. Now that the threat of his blood being stolen had passed, Harry's blood had returned to his body. His arm, mouth, and leg were all bleeding rivulets of blood. "You failed Tom. Just like you failed thirteen years ago, just like you failed to retrieve the stone, and just like you failed to suck the life out of Ginny Weasley. You. Failed." Now that the fog was shifting in his mind Harry could think a little clearer, which meant he could speak a little more coherently, but something was still off. His body felt strange and tense.

Harry felt a Legilimency probe try to force its way in to his mind and he pulled his shields tighter, blocking the intrusion. Unlike previous times though, Voldemort wasn't giving up that easily. He started digging ruthlessly into Harry's mind even as Harry fought him. Thinking quickly, Harry started working from behind his mental barriers. Following the patterns he had learned three summers ago, Harry began weaving a complex combination of Legilimency and Occlumency. He took all of his memories of his life with the Dursley's and forged them into his new construct. He left out how he had run away and instead fashioned an entirely different scenario of Hagrid havening to come pick him up when his relatives tried to keep Harry from receiving his letter. Since it was public knowledge, Harry placed in his memory of being sorted into Slytherin but after that, nothing was real. He wove lies of how he his years at Hogwarts had progressed, even going so far as to altering his memory of how he had bested Dumbledore in a duel during second year. Lastly, he included how he, in a bout of complete paranoia, had performed a dark blood ritual to keep his blood from being stolen and how Lucius had used Krum's blood instead.

When that was finished, Harry made a show of shattering his Occlumency shields before he thrust the construct to the forefront of his mind and retreated deep beneath the false mind where he couldn't be found. He felt Voldemort's sickening presence tear through the false mind with brutal cruelty. Harry likely would have been in agony had his mind been the one to be torn through. As it was, he was safely hidden away where none could find him, though for show he orchestrated his body into whining painfully. When Voldemort finally came upon the memories of what had transpired in the graveyard, he grew furious and lashed out, physically and mentally. Several of the false mind's memories were ripped to shreds as the Dark Lord withdrew and cast a Cruciatus on both Lucius and Crouch Jr.

"Tell me Tom," Harry mocked with malicious laughter as several hooded figures appeared out of the darkness and approached the scene before them. "How does it feel to be a complete _failure_?" Harry knew that emphasizing the man's failure would work him up and therefore wasn't surprised when Voldemort turned and cast the pain curse on Harry. What did surprise him though was the fact that he felt nothing from the curse, not even the slightest twitch.

"Perhaps," Harry laughed as he felt his body shifting and changing of its own volition. "You should have spent more time with strategy and less time with dramatic flair." That was when Harry noticed it and he finally understood, partly at least, what was happening.

There, rising into the sky was a big, round, and completely full moon. He laughed even as his body morphed. His bones began shifting and cracking. His muscles rippled, tore, and grew. His skin began to tear and shed, leaving behind tufts of pitch black fur. Harry felt it as his entire body grew longer and thicker. The ropes that had been binding him to the headstone stretched taught as they tried to keep him bound but it was not to be. The sound produced when the thick ropes snapped echoed throughout the graveyard. Even the headstone Harry was bound too couldn't take the pressure anymore and crumbled to dust, causing Harry to fall backwards. Harry's face pulled and stretched as he laughed insanely. His clothes were ripped to shreds, leaving his fur covered body bare for the whole world to see.

"You will find no victory here Tom," Harry said in a deep rumbling voice that sounded more ancient than Kane's. He pulled himself up to his feet as the changes finally stopped and now towered over the gathered Death Eaters, standing at no less than ten feet. "Death awaits you as it does all things. It has been around since the beginning of time. It will have you as it does everything else." Harry felt like his mouth was being used by someone else but he hardly cared. He was still stunned at the turn of events and still rather drunk with the influx of power he felt from the full moon. He couldn't help but smirk at the stunned and terrified faces of everyone gathered.

"I have conquered death!" Voldemort roared in fear. Terrified but over confident in his own superiority, Voldemort let fly a killing curse.

Harry barely reacted as he drew forth the shadows of the night and created a sword that absorbed the sickly green light of the curse. "None can conquer the endless void." To emphasize his point, Harry shifted his lethal blade and gave a quick slash, bisecting the giant snake that had attempted to lunge at him. The blade went from nose to tail, disintegrating the snake as it went. "You will suffer. Konnen doulè a ou te lakòz."

The spell Harry incanted as he pointed his blade at Voldemort wasn't widely known. It was actually probably only known to its creator, a Haitian wizard who had lost his wife and children and the rest of his family to a wizard with a grudge. Mad with grief, the wizard sought out the murderer and cast a spell on him that forced him to feel every ounce of pain the man had ever caused to other people. Voldemort had conjured a silver shield, thinking to block a spell and/or the sword but Harry's spell couldn't be seen. It burrowed straight into the Dark Lord's mind and laid it raw to all the suffering souls he had tortured and killed and the pain their families had felt at the loss. Unable to take the pain of thousands of people, Voldemort self-destructed and his body exploded in flames, sending a shockwave through the entire graveyard.


	22. Chapter 22: Aftermath

**Disclaimer:** The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me.

**A/N:** Holy f #! It's been AGES since I posted last! Sorry everyone. Between moving and job hunting I haven't been in the mood or had the time to write much. Sadly that isn't about to change as I actually managed to get a job! Go me! :D Anywhozer! Here's the next chapter. I hope everyone likes it. Please please review and let me know what you guys think as I really love your opinion as several of your guys reviews tend to make my day some days.

**Slash warning: **You know these things really put a damper on my desire to surprise you guys but alas, what's a writer to do? You all know the drill. There is slash (and I mean _**SLASH**_) in this chapter. Any who are reading this story and don't like it don't read past the point where Draco starts kissing Harry in the Hospital Wing.

ENJOY! :-)

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><p>CHAPTER NINE: AFTERMATH<p>

Severus practically flew across the grounds of Hogwarts towards the main gates. The instant his feet crossed the gates, Severus Apparated with a loud crack that split the night air. He reappeared in the graveyard in Little Hangleton just in time to hear Harry mock the Dark Lord about his failures. At first, he wanted to snap at the child for being so foolish but after a few minutes of silence as the Dark Lord tried to burrow his way into Harry's mind, Severus noticed a strange build up of magic in the air. It was ancient, far beyond anything Severus had ever felt. And powerful too. Neither the Dark Lord nor Dumbledore had ever come close to that much raw magical strength.

He watched from the shadows of the gravestones, waiting for an opening to rescue his charge. Voldemort appeared to have found what he was looking for in Harry's mind and he turned and started torturing the only other Death Eater's that were present and he wasn't entirely stunned to see that Lucius was one of them. Harry mocked the Dark Lord again and this time Severus nearly did snap at the child for being stupid enough to draw attention back to himself. He felt bile rise in his throat when Voldemort turned to cast the Cruciatus on Harry and was on the cusp of intervening, consequences be damned, when instead of pain filled screams, Harry started laughing. Severus thought that the boy had succumbed to madness until he spoke again and this time, Severus noticed that something was happening to Harry.

Severus watched in sheer amazement as Harry's body shifted and contorted into something completely unheard of. Standing over ten feet tall was a half-panther, half-human. His face was feline, complete with whiskers, but had a few human elements to it that kept his snout from protruding out as far as it normally would on a panther. Harry's furry ears stood on the top of his head and occasionally twitched in different directions to catch different sounds. His massive torso was human in appearance. It had a strong six-pack (though as far as Severus knew, Harry had no such thing) and his pectoral muscles were prominent. This was all concealed mostly by the thick coat of midnight fur that covered all of Harry's body. Harry's hands had morphed into vicious looking claws that could very easily shred a man like cheese.

When he heard the Dark Lord speak the incantation for the killing curse, Severus' blood ran cold but was once again stunned when Harry pulled a blade from the darkness and eliminated the threat as if he were doing nothing more than batting away a fly. Then Harry spoke something in a language Severus didn't know and the Dark Lord began to wail as his newly constructed body burst into flames before exploding entirely. The shockwave rippled through the entire graveyard, shattering headstones and leveling both the nearby church and house. The few remaining Death Eaters, who had arrived moments before Harry changed and hadn't managed to escape or were foolish enough to linger found themselves caught in the flames that spread everywhere and flattened to the ground; including Severus.

The Death Eater Spy had just managed to douse his flaming robes when he felt himself being sucked forward. He looked up to see that Harry had replaced his blade of darkness with his wand and was collecting the flames into a ball in front of him. When all the flames had been collected, Harry tossed the ball into the air. It rose higher and higher until it was nearly out of sight. Harry made a gesture with his wand and the ball exploded in the atmosphere, lighting up the night. Thrusting his wand skyward, Harry uttered a throaty growl followed by an indecipherable word and pure light shot from the tip of his wand and struck the burning sky. He stood there like that for some time, expanding energy and dispersing the flames before he finally released the magic.

Harry staggered and fell to his knees, exhausted from the powerful display. The few remaining Death Eaters who had been caught in the explosion had quickly vanished so Severus, whom Harry had no idea was there, was the only one to witness him shrinking and contorting until he was fully human and kneeling naked in the grass. The expense of powerful magic had done just what he thought it would and drained the excess build up of magic that the full moon had given him and that influenced the change. The only problem now was that he had no more energy left to hold himself upright and he fell forward… only to be caught by strong arms. He weakly opened his eyes and looked up to see the familiar face of his guardian and adoptive parent.

"Sev…" Harry managed to whisper weakly, unable to finish the name. He was so weak that his limbs just lolled around as Severus gently lifted him into his arms. "V… V…"

"You're safe now Harry," Severus said, misunderstanding Harry's last sounds as him being afraid that Voldemort was still near. He prepared to Apparate them back to Hogwarts but stopped when Harry suddenly grabbed his shirt with his injured arm with surprising strength given his weakened condition.

"Krum," Harry forced out clearly before his surge of strength left him and he ended up passing out from the strain.

Understanding dawned on the Head of Slytherin. He located the fallen seeker and went over to him. Severus managed to shift enough to get his wand to fall into his hand and he levitated the seeker high enough so he could grip Krum by the arm. With a loud crack, Severus was once again standing a few feet in front of Hogwarts' gates. A flick of his wand had a blanket covering the naked teen in his arms and Krum floating next to him as he walked up the path.

As they crossed the boundary lines, Severus felt as if he were walking through a thick mire and his steps slowed greatly. Confused, Severus tried to force his next step forward and when it touched down, he found himself walking past beds in the infirmary. There came a loud bang that echoed through the castle stone and shook the walls. Severus' knees nearly buckled from the force of the concussion as well as the strange transportation but he managed to remain upright. Just as he laid Harry and Krum down on separate beds, Severus heard loud marching, indicating several sets of feet headed towards the hospital wing.

"This is highly unorthodox!" Someone screeched as the doors clanged open revealing several stone soldiers, all of whom held a different person. Two held Madam Pomfrey, one held Hermione, another two held Minerva, and one held Draco. Indeed, the only people who had come marching into the hospital wing who weren't being manhandled by the castle's soldiers were Neville and Luna, who of course was smiling dreamily and acting as if she were in a meadow of flowers and holding Neville's hand. "Put me down this instant!"

"I told you the bat needed help," Luna said dreamily as she walked past Severus, who eyed her critically, wondering just _what_ the girl really had going on in her seemingly ditsy head.

"Severus!" Pomfrey and Minerva said in shock at the same time as their escorts released them. "What's going on?" Minerva continued while Pomfrey rushed to the beds when she noticed the occupants, always more interested in saving lives than answers unless they were needed to do her job.

"The great snake tried to return only to be bitten by the black cat," Luna said innocently as she sat on the edge of a hospital bed, idly swinging her feet. Severus, who had turned his attention to the Headmistress and was about to speak, snapped his head back over to the girl and looked at her with narrowed eyes. Draco too was looking at her in no small amount of consideration.

"Miss Lovegood," Severus said slowly, weighing every word that he spoke before he spoke it. "Perhaps you would like to regale us with the details of just how you knew that?" Just like Harry was a year prior, Severus was certain that somehow this seemingly light headed and airy Ravenclaw knew far more than she should.

Luna smiled dreamily before she went ridged and her eyes turned white. "Winds speak on lighted wings of shadowed silver. Nothing shall remain hidden from the far reaching gaze of the mighty sire who shall–" she would've spoken more but Aili chose that moment to screech loudly and sped through the window to hover grandly in all her avian glory in front of Luna.

"Be still thy tongue, Watcher of the Unseen," Aili spoke in a clear and resounding voice. "Look deeper and you shall see."

Luna remained as she was with her eerie white eyes and ridged demeanor for several seconds before she spoke again. "Yes." She blinked several times before her eyes cleared and she finally relaxed.

"Aili," Severus said, a slight warning to his voice, though he remained unthreatening since the old eagle would never be intimidated by anything any mortal could conjure.

"It is not to be known," Aili answered firmly as she glided over to perch on the foot of an empty bed next to Harry's so as to remain out of Pomfrey's way. "If it is known it shall not be. The course must happen on its own if it is to happen at all. To speak of it would kill it."

"Would this have anything to do with what you told me two years ago after the fiasco at the start of winter Holidays?" Severus questioned as he put a few, seemingly small, but obviously important pieces of a puzzle he could yet see together. Aili's stern gaze and unrelenting silence was answer enough so he turned his attention away from the bird and began to explain Luna's first cryptic statement about the snake and cat. He left out a few details, namely what Harry had turned into. He did not foresee that getting out being at all wise. Since everyone present was aware of the precautions they took to prevent the Dark Lord from getting his hands on Harry's blood, he saw no reason to hide the fact that it was in actuality, Krum who had inadvertently participated in resurrecting Voldemort. He also left out Lucius' continued existence. That needed to be handled very delicately.

"Are you sure he is actually gone?" Neville asked nervously when Severus had finished his tale by explaining how Harry and Voldemort had dueled. Because they had brother wands, which was semi public knowledge, there was a resulting contest which Harry miraculously won and ended in a explosion that destroyed Voldemort's newly constructed body.

"No, he is not gone," Severus answered gravely, remembering the Horcruxes that Harry had discovered in second year. "But for the time being he is at least incapacitated. It should buy us enough time to work out how to get rid of him permanently."

"Something that will not be easy," a horse voice croaked. All the heads in the room turned to see Harry with his eyes open and obviously coherent. He was about to say something else but Madam Pomfrey intervened.

"Don't you even _think_ about moving young man!" Pomfrey practically snarled as she pointed her wand threateningly at Harry, forcing him to go cross eyed. "To be frank I am surprised that you're awake at all. Your magical levels are almost nonexistent and both your wounds have severed the arteries."

"My levels have already returned to normal and if you noticed my wounds are already half healed," Harry groaned as he flexed his injured arm and conjured a glass of water with his other. The full moon was still high in the sky and nearing midnight so Harry was still experiencing an influx of magical strength. As a result, his magic was taking it upon itself to heal his wounds. "The only real problem I have right now is physical exhaustion."

"Hogwash!" Poppy exclaimed as she started another scan. "I just did a scan and they clearly said that…" Her voice trailed off as she the scan came back saying the exact same thing that Harry just said. "How…?" She questioned in shock.

"Not particularly pertinent at the moment," Harry said dismissively as he used his good arm to shift himself into a sitting position, using his bad one to hold the blanket Severus had conjured to hide his lack of dress. Once he was situated he waved his hand in a dismissive manner and the stone soldiers marched off, content that their lord was safe. He did however, keep the wards of the castle on lock down. Nothing and no one would be getting on or off the grounds until all was decreed safe. "What is pertinent is the fact that Voldemort is on the verge of returning, among certain other things. I have no doubt that my little display will incite fear in the many Death Eaters that had been present. I've only managed to buy us a little time."

"Agreed," Severus said gravely, knowing that several of the Death Eaters would likely panic at the unbelievable display. It honestly wouldn't surprise him if they all vanished from the public eye, terrified of being found. They would need to be careful from here on out, more so than usual. Severus was drawn from his musing when he noticed the rather pointed look he was receiving from Harry. He cleared his throat nervously and said, "Since Harry is stable and on the mend and we are in no immediate danger, perhaps he and I could have a few minutes to talk?"

"Unless Harry has something to add to the story, given that he was there the longest," Minerva said, directing her gaze to Harry, who was now allowing his magic to play with the color of the blanket he was being covered with.

"I have no doubt that Severus' report was true and accurate," Harry said calmly, not really giving forth an answer. "I do not particularly know when he arrived on the scene but I'm sure he was able to give an appropriate accounting."

"Very well then, I see no reason not to let the matter rest until tomorrow." Minerva said with a nod, though she didn't particularly look convinced. She knew they were hiding something but she also knew that she wasn't about to discover what that was at the moment.

Everyone began filing out of the room, even a disgruntled and disbelieving Madam Pomfrey. Draco went over to Harry's bed to give him a reassuring hug, thankful that he was still alive. When he went to leave he was stopped by the vice like grip on his forearm. He looked to Harry in confusion only to find the other boy staring firmly at Severus, who coincidentally looked slightly uneasy. As the doors to the infirmary and Poppy's office closed shut, the wards appeared and created a purplish bubble around the trio, concealing them so their conversation could be truly private.

"Well?" Harry questioned when the silence had stretched on for several minutes.

"We all thought he was dead Harry," Severus responded as he came closer to the bed. "There was no reason to suspect any different. His body had been almost completely drained of blood. The human body can't survive after the loss of four liters, which he lost."

"Then how did he survive?" Harry asked in frustration and a small amount of trepidation.

"Who?" Draco asked, not liking being kept out of the loop.

Harry sighed and pulled Draco onto the bed next to him. "Among the Death Eaters at the grave yard was… your father."

"W-what?" Draco stuttered in shock, looking between Severus and Harry. "How? He's been dead for nearly two years now."

"I think," Severus said slowly and calmly as he approached the bed where the two sat. "That in the process of cleaning up what happened in order to protect Harry, we inadvertently kept Lucius alive. We, Narcissa and I, had cast preservation spells on his body so as to create the ruse that he had been mauled by a wild animal while hiking in the woods in the Carpathian Mountains, well away from any magical society." Severus paused to take a breath and noticed a slight smirk on Harry's lips, indicating that he could easily follow what they had done in regards to making Lucius appear completely muggle. "The preservation spells likely kept enough blood in his body to keep him barely alive and since they had been charmed to dissipate when he was discovered by muggles, it stands to reason that whoever found him contacted the authorities. From there they obviously managed to save his life, however ineffective their methods may be. He had lost so much blood and hadn't been breathing when we cast the spells that we hadn't thought to account for that possibility."

"An entirely plausible scenario," Harry sighed as he leaned his head onto a stunned Draco's shoulder. "And entirely inconvenient." He looked up to Draco, who hadn't moved or spoken since Severus had started explaining things. "Are you ok?" He asked, nudging Draco's shoulder slightly.

"Just… processing," Draco said sounding slightly disconnected.

"Understandable," Harry said sadly with a nod before turning to Severus and saying, "I'm sorry for being rude towards you Severus. I didn't mean to take my frustration of the situation out on you."

Severus merely nodded, though his eyes clearly communicated that they would continue discussing things later. Harry nodded back in acknowledgment and Severus turned to leave, slipping past the ward bubble without a problem. Harry turned back to his boyfriend and wrapped him in a warm hug, though how warm it could be when he was completely naked and covered by a simple blanket was beyond him. His concern increased when he felt a slight tremor wrack Draco's body. It wasn't very noticeable, just enough for Harry's enhanced senses to pick up.

"Everything will be okay Draco," Harry said in determination as he lifted Draco's head to stare him directly in the eye. "You and Narcissa will move to Hogwarts where you will be safer and where Lucius can't reach you. With the Blood Wards protecting the grounds and castle there is no safer place. Not even the Dark Lord can reach us here."

They stared hard into each other's eyes. Uncertain stormy grey looked into confident and determined green and silver. Harry was seconds away from making a long and ranting speech in an attempt to squash the remaining uncertainty in his boyfriend's eyes when Draco suddenly gripped Harry by the neck and kissed him full on the mouth. So completely off guard had he been taken that Harry simply sat there, frozen in shock. It wasn't the kiss that shocked him, they had kissed plenty of times, but the suddenness of it had taken him by surprise. That quickly passed though and he soon melted into the luscious and glorious lips of his boyfriend.

Harry laid back so Draco was leaning over him as their kiss deepened, becoming more heated and passionate. Harry griped Draco's clothing while Draco ran his elegant fingers across Harry's smooth, olive skin. Without any conscious thought on his part, Harry's legs moved to allow Draco to lie more comfortably over him. Deep within the fog of his mind Harry thought that this probably wasn't the best time for such a make out session but he also thought that Draco might need the distraction from recent discoveries. That was a distant thought though, buried with the rest of his rational thinking as his passion for Draco took dominance over his mind.

Though neither of them paid one lick of attention to the fact, Draco was suddenly as naked as Harry was and they were both pressing their arousals together beneath the very blanket that had originally been covering only Harry. They continued kissing each other passionately as they started moving against each other. Their bodies became slick with sweat as their body temperatures rose but neither noticed, too enraptured by each other were they to notice anything beyond their lust.

Instinct pulled Harry to drag his legs up Draco's thighs to wrap around his back, holding the blond close to his body. Because of the slickness brought on by both their sweat and their leaking members, Draco's seven inch and fully erect member slipped lower as the two teens rubbed against each other. Harry jerked and gasped in shock, pleasure, and barely noticeable pain at the sudden and unexpected intrusion to his virgin hole, shallow though it was.

"Shit!" Draco swore in a combination of pleasure and terror. The thought of hurting what was most precious to him nearly giving him a heart attack. "Are you ok! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that!" Draco tried to pull away but Harry's tense legs, which were stronger than they appeared, held him firmly in place.

"It's ok," Harry said, still being dominated by his desire for the man on top of him. He could feel the pain radiating from his rear but it was dull and fading quickly as pleasure took its place. "It was just unexpected." Harry pulled on Draco's neck until he caved and lowered enough for Harry to resume their kiss.

Draco remained frozen while Harry kissed him, terrified of hurting Harry any more than he already had. Harry wouldn't have that though. He had become consumed by the pleasure and lust that Draco had long ago woken in him. He squeezed his legs tighter, lifting himself off the bed and impaling himself further upon Draco's length. Draco and Harry both couldn't prevent the pleased gasp that escaped their mouths at the sensations and pure pleasure that spiked through their bodies. It was almost enough to make them both cum right there but they managed to restrain themselves

Harry lowered himself back down and Draco practically melted at the feeling of himself sliding through his lover's body and he began to respond to Harry's kiss. Slowly, his instincts kicked in and he began to move. He pushed in, filling Harry with his length and making the raven haired youth feel so utterly full and complete, and then pulled out. In and out, in and out. The more Draco moved, the faster he went until Harry felt like he was riding a jackhammer. Every time Draco thrust inwards he would strike Harry's prostate, increasing his pleasure and making him squirm and gasp in pleasure every time.

It felt like they had been at it for hours and minutes. They knew nothing but each other. After what seemed like an eternity, they both began to feel the pressure build in their groins. Draco's next strike at Harry's prostate sent him over the edge and he was spilling his seed between their bodies with a primal scream of pleasure. The convulsing and spasms of Harry's body tightened the pressure around Draco and he was unable to resist as his body ejected everything he had deep within Harry's body; so impossibly deep.

Draco and Harry both collapsed from the strain of their orgasms and they lay on the hospital bed panting and thoroughly content. The blanket and privacy bubble still protected them from the outside world and kept their privacy intact, not that it really mattered since the hospital wing was completely deserted. Once a modicum of strength returned to his limbs, Harry shifted them so that they were lying on their sides comfortably. He brushed the hair out of Draco's face and smiled happily at him.

"Better?" Harry whispered quietly. They both were already feeling drowsy and Draco could barely keep his eyes open.

"Mmmm," Draco hummed with a small smile as his eyes closed without opening up again.

Harry just snickered quietly and pulled Draco closer and tucked his blond head under his chin and followed his lover off into sleep. Unknown to either lover the portraits of the founders down in The Sanctuary turned to each other with knowing looks as the castle's magic took on a particularly happy and charged feel.

–Scene Break–

The next morning Harry sat in the middle of the Great Hall, in the place that was usually reserved for the Headmaster or mistress. It was early and the carriages were due in an hour to take everyone to the train so they could leave. On his right sat Minerva in an equally elegant chair to give a sense of equality and to show that Harry wasn't trying to take over or any such thing. On his left sat Severus as Deputy Headmaster and then the rest of the teachers. Draco sat in a chair between and slightly behind Harry's and Severus' chair. He had a slight smirk on his face that threatened to break out into a fully smug smile every time Harry shifted uncomfortably in his chair. The raven-haired youth was very sore from the night before, which he had so pointedly declared when they woke up earlier.

*Flashback*

Harry woke up slowly and groaned as he did so. A strong, dull soreness was radiating from his backend and it was rudely intruding upon his basking. He heard a small chuckle and he cracked open his eyes to see Draco looking down at him with a happy and infuriatingly amused smile on his face.

"Smug prick," Harry growled in annoyance as he halfheartedly smacked Draco's bare chest before pulling the blond closer and snuggling into his side. "You could at least do the decent thing and get me pain reliever or something."

"I might," Draco replied, still smiling as he ran his hand through Harry's hair. "If it weren't for the fact that my clothes seem to have vanished entirely."

"I figured they would be on the floor after all the… tossing we did." Harry replied as he shifted pointedly with a slight wince. The hospital wing doors banged open just then and Harry let out a stifled yelp as he suddenly sat bolt upright, further aggravating his abused hole. He glared at Draco, who merely smirked, and quickly conjured them both some clothing and they hurriedly dressed. Harry allowed the wards to drop the privacy bubble and they saw Severus walking towards them.

*End Flashback*

Students and visitors for the tournament began filing into the Great Hall, pausing in surprise at the arrangement. Instead of the usual four house tables and the Head Table, the hall was filled with over a thousand chairs, all aligned in rows to face the staff that was sitting at the opposite end of the hall. Whispers broke out as they all filed into the seats, especially once they noticed the stone soldiers that were positioned throughout the entire room. They stood at attention with their weapons in their hands. One would think that they were simply statues, decorations of the ancient building, but the occasional movements that they made clearly said that they were there for more than decoration.

"Attention!" Harry called as he stood up when the hall was full and everyone was present. "Strange though it may be to have someone your age or younger addressing you, the seriousness of the situation at hand supersedes such things as age." He paused as he searched all the faces that were staring back up at him. He noted particularly that Minister Fudge looked a combination of intrigued at what Harry was hinting at and annoyed at the concept of a fourteen year old possessing more fame and power than him. Harry knew that the man wasn't about to like the announcement he was about to make but they had a plan to mitigate that.

"There have been some rumors about the happenings of last night after the end of the tournament. I am here to set the record straight." He continued, turning his attention back to the population at large. At the mention of the tournament, some of the Hufflepuffs cheered and clapped Cedric Diggory on the back. The rest of those present, while acknowledging the boys win, sensed the seriousness of the situation and simply continued to stare at Harry. "Yes, Mr. Diggory did brilliant. Unfortunately, the night was marred by the successful kidnapping of myself by the Death Eaters." More whispers broke out but they quieted quickly as Harry continued speaking. "This was done in an attempt to resurrect the Dark Lord He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"You-Know-Who is dead!" Fudge declared violently as he stood up.

"Hence the words 'attempt to resurrect'," Harry replied calmly, undisturbed by the expected outburst. "Their attempt to bring back the Dark Lord failed. However," he quickly got in before the Minister could say anything else. "The fact remains, the Death Eaters are still very much active, as evident by the travesty at the Quidditch World Cup." As hoped, bringing up that little debacle had put a cap on the Minister's mouth and got some of the other people present thinking. "Sadly, they are not the only threat. While Voldemort remains very much dead, he is still a threat, especially if his devoted followers managed to bring him back to life. In an effort," Harry had to raise his voice in order to be heard over the shocked and disbelieving whispers. "In an effort to protect Hogwarts and everyone who attends this magnificent institution, the castle's stone soldiers will be patrolling the grounds, along with the Aurors that Minister Fudge has so kindly agreed to provide."

"I agreed to no such thing!" Fudge roared in protest.

"So you will not be proving once again what a great Minister you are by helping to protect the students of your loyal voters?" Harry asked innocently, though anyone present with a brain saw the glint in Harry's eyes and clearly heard the manipulation that was going on. They all knew that Fudge hadn't agreed to the protection but he had been backed into a corner. If he refused to provide the Aurors then he would likely be out of office by the end of the week. Unfortunately, he likely would end up out of office anyways for proving how easily manipulated he was, and by a fourteen year old at that. One way or the other, he was screwed and they all knew it.

"O-of course," Fudge stammered nervously after looking out at everyone and realizing his very bad situation. "Nothing is more important that the protection of our young."

"Fabulous, Minister, simply fabulous," Harry said smiling like a tiger that had just caught its prey. "Now, one last thing before you all leave. Hogwarts has a reputation for being the safest place on earth. It is." He said with such conviction that no one present doubted the fact. "The blood wards that protect these grounds and this castle are the strongest wards that can be found. Only Gringotts can compete with the strength of the wards and the protection they provide. Should any of you, any," he covertly stared at several of the Slytherin students, knowing that several of them had Death Eater parents. "Need protection for yourselves or for your family, come back to Hogwarts. There is plenty of room, obviously." Some of the students chuckled at Harry's humor but most didn't. "If you feel that you cannot get here safely, send word and we will do our best to retrieve you. I'm sure that Minster Fudge would also be willing to assist in this as well." Fudge just coughed nervously and gave his affirmative. "Good. Now, I believe it is past time for everyone to return home. The carriages are outside waiting to take everyone down to the train who is taking it. As it is still early, the house elves will be providing small, group meals in the compartments on the train."

The soldiers took a loud, single step forward, turned, and began marching out the doors to provide escorts to the boundary lines of the grounds. The teachers filed out next to provide escorts and protection all the way down to the train. The students hesitated briefly before standing up and following suit. The foreign students lagged since they wouldn't be taking the trains but their own means of returning to their homes. Fudge glared dangerously at Harry before turning and filing out as well. Draco got up to stand next to Harry as Hermione, Neville, and Luna walked up to him.

"Severus said You-Know-Who had died last night," Neville said curiously as Fawkes appeared in a ball of fire high above their heads and glided effortlessly down to perch on Harry's shoulder.

"Died is sort of the most accurate word that can be used." Harry said with a nod. "His body was destroyed but his soul is still tied to this world and until we destroy the things tying him here then he will never truly be gone."

"And in the mean time, we're all in danger." Hermione said logically, shifting nervously. She glanced over her shoulders at the doors to the Great Hall.

"The offer applies to you and your family as well Hermione." Harry said, guessing the source of her nervousness. "Your family already knows about magic so the Statute of Secrecy doesn't apply and Hogwarts can shelter whomever she chooses."

"Thanks Harry," Hermione said, smiling in gratitude. "I'm just not sure if they'll go for it or not. They like their life and their jobs. Then there's the whole danger aspect. If they find out the seriousness of the situation they'll either freak out and never let me come back, thinking they can protect me better, or they'll freak and cart me off to some obscure country where no one can find us."

"Well you know what to do if you decide or need to get to safety," Harry said with a sad smile as he hugged the bushy haired girl. "We have time yet, little though it might be. Who knows, school might be back in session by the time the Death Eaters take action again."

"Here's hoping," Neville said with a smile, taking Hermione's place as the one hugging Harry and then Hermione. Draco, still uncomfortable with public displays, merely shook the other boy's hand, though he had a small and warm smile on his face instead of his usual blank mask. "We should get going or we'll miss the carriages."

"Watch your back guys," Harry said as he watched his friends walk out of the hall.

"Well," Draco said with a sigh from Harry's left. "It's a good thing Hogwarts has large grounds. Two months of being cooped up is not going to be easy."

"Oh we'll have plenty to do, don't you worry about that." Harry said in all seriousness.

"Sadly, I must agree," Severus said. He and Minerva had remained behind instead going with the other teachers to escort the students to the train. "We must discover what and how many objects the Dark Lord chose to create his Horcruxes. If we cannot find and destroy them all then we will never be rid of the monster."

"Tell me you did not just say what I think you said Snape," a new voice sounded. Everyone turned to see Sirius walking into the hall and towards the trio.

"What're you doing here?" Harry questioned in surprise. Last he heard, Sirius was still in Greece recovering from his stay in Azkaban. They had exchanged letters regularly since Sirius refused to give up contact with his only godson and last relic of James and Lilly but he hadn't say anything about returning. "For that matter how? The wards didn't register you coming onto the grounds."

"Not happy to see me?" Sirius said in mock hurt as he picked Harry up in a bear hug and spun him around, causing Harry to squeak indignantly, which caused Draco to snicker in amusement. "As for why I'm here," Sirius continued as he put Harry back on the ground. He smirked when he noticed the glare the boy sent Draco for laughing at his plight. "Remus sent me a letter a few weeks ago, bout a month actually, and he told me a few things that had been going on that you left out of your letters. I only just got the letter two days ago and I left right away to get back. Takes a while though to get back to Britain from Greece." Severus mumbled something under his breath but only Harry heard him and he didn't bother commenting. The man's grudge against Sirius was still very strong but he was making an effort to keep the peace for Harry's sake. "Now, what's this I hear about Horcruxes?"

"You still haven't answered how you managed to get on the grounds without the wards alerting Harry when they are on high alert." Severus pointed out, avoiding the question for the moment.

"How should I know?" Sirius said with a shrug of innocence. "I just walk through the gates as the carriages started coming out."

"They must have not viewed you as a threat," Harry said in speculation. "They're currently set to bar anyone with hostile intentions."

"A rather restricted scope don't you think?" Draco questioned as he absently stroked Fawkes' warm feathers. "Anyone in an argument could be considered to be having hostile intentions."

"True," Harry chuckled mildly. "However, they look for hostile intentions such as, raiding the school, attacking the school and those who reside here, anyone with the Dark Mark, baring Severus, and other such things that free them up from rejecting every Tom, dick and whozabob that is angry with someone they're arguing with." Draco bit back a laugh at Harry's choice of words while Sirius outright laughed in his barking manner. Severus, though he didn't show it, was also amused. Harry threw him a wink and Severus just rolled his eyes in exasperation. "To answer your question though, Sirius, yes we were talking about Horcruxes. We think the Dark Lord may have several of them, which is why he hasn't died yet."

"_Ssssspeaking of,_" Orpheus' hissing voice sounded from within Harry's shirt, which moved as the ten foot basilisk slithered out of his collar. "_We may have some information about them._"

"Oh?" Harry asked in surprise. This was the first he had heard about this.

"Yes," Kane responded, suddenly materializing next to Sirius, who jumped a mile and landed painfully on his rear. The lion merely ignored the reaction in favor of giving Harry a rather pointed look that made him shift uncomfortably.

"_He wishes for you to ensure that you make sure he and I aren't present the next time you and Draco enjoy each other's company,_" Orpheus hissed quietly into Harry's ear when Harry looked to him in question.

"So," Harry coughed as his face turned so red he almost appeared to be glowing. Everyone looked at him in confusion but there was no way in hell he was about to broach _that_ topic to anyone but Draco. "Your news?"

"Orpheus, Aili, and I," Kane said so everyone could understand as he shook his shaggy mane. "Have sent out some of our less conspicuous and normal animal contacts to search for any traces of a magical signature that would match a Horcrux." Kane padded over to one of the large windows as he continued speaking. "We did not mention anything of it because we did not think it would pay off. Surprisingly though, one of our local contacts came up with a faint signature in London. Being a simple house cat, Kiki doesn't pay much attention to street names and numbers but we can find it easily enough, despite the many magical protections on the place to keep it from being discovered by the Ministry as well as muggles."

"This house," Sirius said, still sitting on the floor. He appeared to be coming out of his shock of discovering both Orpheus and Kane but not enough to move. "It wouldn't happen to be sandwiched between two other houses, reek of Dark magic, and goes completely unnoticed by muggles would it?"

"That is what she reported yes," Kane replied in surprise. "Do you know of this place?"

"I believe I do, though I can't imagine a Horcrux being there." Sirius answered with a nod and a grimace. He stood up and brushed himself off before he continued. "I believe the house you are referring to is on Grimmauld Place. The Black family has a home there and is, unfortunately, where I grew up."

"Didn't your younger brother Regulus join the Death Eaters after graduation?" Remus asked, joining the conversation as he walked in through the doors after escorting the students to the train.

"Regulus?" Sirius repeated with a stunned look on his face. "God, I haven't thought of that little runt in years. But yeah, he did. Come to think of it he started acting funny about a year or so before he up and vanished."

"_Perhaps he defected._" Orpheus hissed in thought as he shifted to a more comfortable position on Harry's free shoulder. "_If so, it's possible, unlikely though it may be, that he discovered one of Riddle's Horcruxes, stole it, and hid it before either running or being killed by Riddle for treason._"

"It's possible," Harry said, forgetting to translate for everyone. "Though I can't see how he would have discovered one. The Dark Lord would have placed several lethal protections around the pieces of his soul."

"The how at this point isn't all that important," Aili said as she glided over Remus' head to perch on top of Kane's back. "What is important is that we have a lead, tenuous though it may be. Also, you," she glared pointedly at Harry. "Need to go and rest. I can sense that your magic has not fully stabilized after the events of last night and the effects of the full moon."

"I feel fine Aili," Harry protested. Even as he said it though, he suddenly started feeling rather drained and tired.

"If you overexert yourself the wards will falter and we will be vulnerable." Aili countered, her glare worsening and Harry had the feeling that she could sense his fatigue. "Go and rest. The rest of us will deal with making plans to hunt down these Horcruxes."

Harry glared right back at the bird and considered protesting further but his sudden exhaustion held his tongue. "Fine." He relented reluctantly. "I'll be in my tower if anyone needs me." He bid everyone good day, a hug and covert kiss for Draco, and then left the hall.


	23. Chapter 23: Weren't we done

**Disclaimer: **The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me

**A/N: _Please_**_** Read****!** _ OK everyone! Now don't be too upset with me. There's a big shift in this story, one I've been hinting at for the past few chapters. It kind of ruins the surprise but Harry gets pregnant in this chapter so there's an **MPREG** warning on this one. I've never seen a fanfic that actually walks Harry through the pregnancy so I thought I would try and do something like that. Now if you don't like this plot twist please just say so. There's no need to be rude or anything. I honestly don't know how this will be received but I hope it gets good reviews because I really like the way this story is going.

**MPREG WARNING!** As stated Harry discovers he's pregnant!

Please PLEASE **PLEASE **review and let me know your thoughts!

* * *

><p>CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:<p>

WEREN'T WE DONE WITH HEART STOPPING SURPRISES?

Harry wondered his way up to his tower contemplating why he was suddenly so tired when he had gotten a good, if not great, night of sleep. Honestly, he couldn't remember the last time he had gotten such a complete and restful night of sleep. To be so tired after only a few hours of being awake was just strange, especially when he hadn't been doing any physical labor. He sat down and stretched out on the couch in front of the small fire in his living room. To his immense surprise, he was almost instantly asleep.

Orpheus slithered gently and quietly out of Harry's clothing and onto the empty space of couch next to him. He laid there for a few minutes just looking at Harry and thinking. He, like Aili, could sense that something was off with Harry's magic but unlike Aili, Orpheus did not know why. Her lie about him not having stabilized after the full moon and the happenings of the previous night was a good one and everyone believed it; save for Harry's familiars. Orpheus leaned forward and stuck his tongue out in a raspberry, scenting Harry and his magic. After a few moments of this Orpheus reared back and hissed quietly in surprise. He quickly slithered off the couch and left the room.

–Scene Break–

"This place is a mess," Snape said with a look of disgust as he stood in the middle of the entrance hall to Grimmauld Place. Dust and grime was everywhere and the entire place stank of mold, mildew, and Dark magic. "Didn't they ever clean?"

"The place has been empty since Sirius' parents died Severus," Remus said calmly as he subtly brushed the back of his hand against Severus' as he stepped forward cautiously. He and Severus were the only ones that had opted to make a trip to Grimmauld place. Minerva had things to tend to at the school and Sirius was adamant about never having to set foot in the house again. "And before you ask yes they had an elf. However, he is rather deranged, always has been. I doubt he would have done much to keep the place clean and it's rather obvious he didn't."

"Strangers in the House of Black," an old and gravelly voice sounded from farther down the hallway. "A half-blood and a werewolf, oh how upset my mistress be. Such filth disgracing the walls."

"Be gone Kreature!" Remus barked in annoyance, obviously having some sort of knowledge of the deranged elf. "Your current lord and master sent us and we've no need for your assistance."

"Kreature has no master," Kreature grumbled even as he turned and ambled off. He grumbled under his breath about mudblood and filth all the way.

"I might feel sorry for Black if he grew up with that," Severus remarked as he moved forward into the house. He cast out his magical senses, searching for the unique and foul signature of Horcruxes. What he picked up was a ton of Dark magic. The walls were drenched in it and it practically spewed from every crack and corner of the building.

"Did Severus Snape just show sympathy for his long standing rival?" Remus teased, turning back to Severus, who had pulled out his wand and started casting specific spells.

"I said _might_," Severus responded curtly with a glare at the wolf. "The Horcrux is definitely here and judging from my scans it's on this floor. Let's retrieve it and leave. This place gives me the creeps and I don't want to spend more time than necessary here, especially with such an object about."

Remus merely smirked as Severus and he quietly moved down the hallway. Severus followed the pull of his spells towards the drawing room. He held his wand at the read with the tip lit as he slowly and cautiously pushed the door open. Nothing jumped out at them but they both felt the whispers of magic and heard the slight rustling that indicated something was in the room. Severus stepped forward with Remus at his back and moved towards a display cabinet towards the far end of the room. He twitched his wand and the doors swung open with a small creak.

There, sitting innocently in the center of the cabinet was a solid gold locket with an S inscribed into the center. Looking at it, no one would suspect anything was out of the ordinary but both Remus and Severus could sense the faint and repulsive aura that clung to the necklace, just like with the destroyed diary. A faint scratching sound emanated from closed locket as Severus pulled out a cloth bag from his rob pocket. He slipped his wand tip through the chain and delicately lifted the locket and placed it into the bag. The bag seemed to twitch minutely but otherwise remained still. Not wanting to remain in the house any longer than necessary, Severus quickly pulled out a portkey, held it out to Remus and activated it.

–Scene Break–

Lucius Malfoy stood in the graveyard at Little Hangleton and surveyed the wreckage. The boy was far more powerful than they had anticipated and had somehow managed to predict and negate their plans to use his blood to resurrect the Dark Lord to full power. Something was very strange about that boy, something that he couldn't hope to stand against. Not even politically. He may be a Malfoy but Potter possessed way more political power than Lucius could ever dream of, being Lord of Hogwarts along with all of his various other titles.

Then there was the fact that Potter seemed capable of manipulating every situation to his advantage. He had read the _Prophet _the day after he had managed to recover from Potter's explosive assault after his kidnapping and he was astonished that everyone was fully aware and believing what the boy had said transpired after the tournament. All because he had masterfully played Fudge like a concert pianist plays the piano.

Yes, Potter was a force to be reckoned with and a force that Lucius wanted, _needed_ gone.

–Scene Break–

Albus Dumbledore lay on the tattered and frayed cot that they had given him. He shuddered as another dementor glided past his cell, increasing the effects of the two that had yet to leave him alone since he was thrown in here two years ago. Despite the insanity that had begun to encroach upon his mind during those two years Dumbledore had been able to locate a balance between the effects of the dementors and some semblance of sanity. It wasn't much but he was at least able to think with some coherency.

What he thought about was how his plans had gone so horribly awry. He couldn't figure out how Harry Potter, a boy decades younger than Albus himself, had managed to so effectively turn the entire British wizarding population against him. He couldn't understand why no one could see that he had done what was necessary to try and prevent the rest of the prophecy from coming true, from everything being completely destroyed. He had worked so hard to protect everything, to keep everything the way it was. Now, it was all for nothing. All of his work to pull the purebloods to his side and manipulating the muggleborns and their parents to see things his way had gone down the drain. All because Harry had not turned out the way Albus had expected when he placed the boy with his abusive relatives.

Now _that _was a puzzle Albus couldn't figure out. He had done something similar a thousand times with other muggleborns, obliviating their parents and placing the child with emotionally and verbally abusive people, who had also been obliviated into thinking the child was theirs. When their powers manifested the parents would freak and try to beat the child down, forcing the child to become meek and malleable, someone Dumbledore could easily manipulate. Dumbledore knew that such methods might be considered immoral but it had to be done to ensure the safety of a future he controlled.

Dumbledore shuddered as another dementor passed his cell, lingering slightly to feed greedily. He had failed and hope was lost.

–Scene Break–

Harry lay on his couch napping peacefully. The past two and a half months had been a little more grueling than he had previously anticipated. Only a few people had taken Harry up on his offer to seek shelter at Hogwarts, Hermione and Neville among others. Hermione had opted to convince her parents to let her stay most of the summer at Harry's, conveniently omitting the fact that Harry owned Hogwarts, and they had easily agreed, seeing no reason to deny her and happy that she was making friends. Neville's grandmother had accompanied him since her family had been a target in the previous war and she wasn't willing to risk another attack with the increase in activity.

To add to that the Minister was proving that he wasn't above revenge. Because of what Harry had done in front of the entire student population Fudge was attempting to convince the population that Harry wasn't fit to own Hogwarts. He couldn't outright smear Harry's name since Harry had so nicely made it seem like they were both in agreement and working together to ensure the students' safety. However, that wasn't stopping him from covertly dropping hints about the lack of Harry's experience or his age or about the lack of ability to find and retain an appropriate Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. To _that_ end, Fudge was attempting to force one of his own people on them, even going so far as to create an entirely new law stating that if Hogwarts can't find a qualified teacher than the Ministry will appoint one. The law wasn't worth the ink it was written with since Hogwarts was a separate entity and the Ministry had no say in how the school was run but he and Minerva were attempting to keep the public from thinking they were trying to circumvent the Ministry and the law.

To top it all off, Harry was continuously and very inexplicably exhausted. He had gone to Pomfrey and had her check him out and she said that he was perfectly fine, though his magic levels were off by a few degrees but it wasn't anything to be worried about and certainly not the cause for his fatigue. The maintaining of the wards was a simple and easy explanation for his magic being off, after all Blood wards needed a little extra power from their caretaker to maintain their level of activity.

"Harry," a soft and gentle voice said, drawing said boy out of his sleepy haze, at least somewhat.

"Hmmm?" Harry responded sleepily, turning his head towards the familiar voice but not bothering to open his eyes.

"I'm worried about you Harry," the voice said. Harry distantly placed the voice as Draco's. "Being this tired isn't healthy. You sleep heavily every night yet you wake up exhausted. You take long naps during the day that make you miss meals and you're still tire. Something is wrong."

"I know," Harry mumbled as he stretched lazily like the cat he was. He pulled himself towards wakefulness some more in order to form a more coherent sentence. He opened his eyes to look up at Draco, receiving only a bleary image and being forced to blink several times before his eyes focused. "All of Pomfrey's scans came back normal though. She found nothing wrong and I don't know what else to do. I even asked Severus to check for side effects from the rituals we did to protect my blood and Hogwarts from Riddle and there was nothing. The blood basin was empty indicating that my blood had transferred back to my body. None of us can think of any other reason why I would be this exhausted."

"I'm just concerned," Draco said with a sigh as he brushed his fingers over Harry's cheek, causing the other boy to nuzzle them like a cat. "And I hope nothing is seriously wrong." Harry nodded in acknowledgement, already drifting back off to sleep. He was startled back into wakefulness when Draco nudged his side and continued speaking. "Come on, the welcoming feast is going to start soon."

"I slept all day?" Harry questioned in surprise as he sat up on his elbows. At Draco's nod, he sighed in aggravation and worked his way to his feet. "This is ridiculous. There has to be an explanation for this. I'd take pepper-up potions if all it was, was regular exhaustion but if something else is causing it then I don't know if a pepper-up would make it worse."

"We'll find out what's wrong Harry," Draco assured as he rubbed calming circles on Harry's back. "With all of the resources available to us it's impossible for us not to find out what's wrong."

"You're wonderful you know that?" Harry said with a happy smile as he leaned into Draco's side.

Draco just smiled and wrapped his arm around Harry's waist as he led the way down to the Great Hall. They both sat down at the Slytherin table and quietly waited for the rest of the students to arrive. Hermione and Neville were sitting at their perspective tables, as well as the other students that had chosen to seek safety. The families of those that had come were off in their private rooms, respecting their children's space and not wanting to disrupt the operation of the school. The staff, minus Severus at the moment, was all present.

Harry studiously ignored the new presence at the Head Table, not that it was particularly difficult given his fatigue but still. The stout, pompous, pink, and frog-like woman sat ostracized from the other teachers at the far end of the Head Table. Even the two other new teachers that had been hired for the more advanced classes of Magical Architecture and Spell Crafting were avoiding the woman like she had the plague. She was the Ministry appointed Professor for DADA, Delores Umbridge.

When the woman had first arrived at Hogwarts the wards had rejected her presence, resulting in a rather nasty but somewhat humorous floo accident that sent her flying back through the opposite end. Harry and Minerva had to do some rather fast talking in order to sooth some ruffled feathers and to explain what had happened. The woman had nearly blown a vein when Harry had explained that the wards had been set to reject and bar anyone from the grounds with hostile intentions. Though she adamantly and very angrily protested against the validity of what Harry had said she had very successfully alienated every single person in the castle the moment she arrived by constantly criticizing everything they did. The woman was obviously under the impression that she wielded some sort of authority in the school over everyone else and Harry was thoroughly looking forward to the day he could have her thrown out of the castle.

When all the students finally settled into the hall Minerva stood up and began making her start of term speech like she had the previous two years after the Sorting Hat's song and warning to be united in the approaching dark times. Minerva introduced the new teachers and went about explaining to the new students the boundaries and forbidden areas. Just as she began explaining about the security measures that were in place for their protection she was interrupted by a soft clearing of a throat. The student body and teachers were then subjugated to what was probably the most enlightening and most irritating speech of their lives from Umbridge.

"If the record tracks," Harry grumbled quietly after the frog-bitch sat back down. "I will have her thrown out of this castle before Christmas holidays and I will enjoy every second of it."

"I'm sure the rest of us will enjoy it too," Draco chuckled as he started loading his plate, keeping an eye on Harry all the while incase the drowsy boy passed out in his seat. "Judging from the looks on everyone else's faces they're not very pleased by her presence here either."

"That's good," Harry said as he picked at his food. "I figured the public would be siding with the Ministry." He paused as he took a drink of water. "After all I am only fifteen. Not to mention I did rather publicly overcome their beloved Dumbledore."

"You underestimate yourself Harry," Draco said, nudging Harry's shoulder with his own. "Your reputation for protecting this school and its students has placed you in a good light with the public. As for Dumbledore, he was lawfully convicted by the Ministry. The public may have a tendency to blindly follow their leaders but they're not stupid. They know Dumbledore wouldn't have been convicted by the very government they love so much if he hadn't done the things he did."

"You know," Harry said as he picked apart a muffin. "I never thought of it like that."

"That is why you have people like me around," Draco jested with haughty air making Harry chuckle.

When the feast was over Harry made his way back up to his tower, making a slight detour to Rowena's tower to pick up a few books on medical illnesses and conditions to read before bed. He obviously didn't get very far in his reading since he was already half asleep but he still did his best to try and figure out why he was so exhausted lately. He only got through like four pages before he ended up falling asleep with the book in his hands and his head leaned back against the headboard of his bed.

"_This isn't right,_" Orpheus whispered quietly as he slithered across Harry's bed and removing the book from Harry's lap. "_He deserves to know._"

"Rowena's prophecy was very specific," Aili said from her perch on top of Harry's bed frame. "He will discover the situation on his own in due time. If he is told before he is ready then it will disrupt everything." A soft inquisitive chirp sounded from the foot of Harry's bed where Fawkes was perched looking at Harry in concern. "No Fawkes. Your tears, powerful as they are, would do nothing in this situation. Besides, any magical interference before he is ready will cause more harm than good."

"There must be something we can do," Kane said softly in frustration as he aided Orpheus in shifting Harry into a more comfortable position.

"We can only wait and protect him until he finds Edana," Aili explained with a shake of her feathered head. "Because of her with Helga her skills and knowledge in medical magics surpasses even the books in Rowena's tower. She is the only one that can handle the situation without making it worse."

"We don't even know if she would help," Kane protested in annoyance. "She doesn't care for the race humans and wizards." They all froze when Harry shifted on the bed at the sudden elevation of Kane's voice. It was several minutes before the tension eased out of their muscles.

"_I assume that Rowena's prophecy says that Edana will see reason,_" Orpheus said calmly as he coiled up on top of Harry as a second blanket. Aili merely gave a small, almost imperceptible nod of her head before disappearing with a small shimmer.

–Scene Break–

The next several weeks passed in somewhat of a blur for Harry. Much to his regret he had yet to locate a reason to fire Umbridge, even though he had the wards monitoring her every movement. He also hadn't managed to figure out what was wrong with him to make him so tired all the time. Of course, it didn't help that he didn't have much time to do any research. If he wasn't in class he was usually sleeping. Unfortunately, he would occasionally end up falling asleep _during _classes but Draco was usually there to wake him up and it helped that most of the teachers liked him and didn't make too much of a fuss about it. Remus in particular was very understanding and usually just let him sleep since Harry almost always followed up with near perfect homework assignments.

"Mr. Potter!" A shrill voice screeched causing Harry to jerk into an upright position from where he had been sleeping on his desk. He looked up to see Umbridge standing over him. The rest of the class had gone already. Usually Draco was there to help keep him awake but Severus had him assisting in creating an acid with basilisk venom from Orpheus to safely dispose of the Horcrux necklace they had found during the summer. The ugly frog like woman continued before he could say anything. "Detention. Immediately."

Harry sighed in annoyance as he grabbed his bag and followed the hideous monstrosity in pink up to her office. She gave a long ranting speech about disobedience and what not but Harry just tuned her out as he sat down in the chair she directed him towards. When she finished her droning speech she informed Harry that he would be doing lines, which was rather obvious given that the chair Harry had sat down in had parchment and a quill on it already. Umbridge had finished her speech with her back to Harry and she was radiating smug pleasure that filled Harry's mouth with bile, which did not help things since he had also started getting nauseous lately, on top of his exhaustion.

Unfortunately for Umbridge, Harry was also feeling rather pleasantly smug at the moment. He had been searching for just over a month and a half for a way to get this woman out of his castle and here one just falls into his lap. Taking out a quill and ink of his own, Harry scribbled down a quick note to Minerva. He folded up the note and in the span of a single, silent second, it vanished in a quick flash of fire as Fawkes appeared and disappeared simultaneously and taking the note with him.

"Dolores Jane Umbridge, Madam Undersecretary for Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge," Harry said as he pulled out his wand but kept it hidden in the folds of his arm. Umbridge turned and was seconds away from laying into Harry about this that or the other but he just over rode her. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't have you locked up in the dungeons permanently for the possession and intent to use a class three illegal Dark object?"

"I am a Ministry employee!" Umbridge screeched in indignation, her face turning even more frog-like.

"You are, as of this moment," Harry said, interrupting whatever else she was about to say. The door opening and three stone soldiers marching in also cut off what she was going to say. "On the grounds of an independent institution that is not governed by any, _any_, government whatsoever. I, as owner, have the right to detain and imprison you here for as long as I see fit if I have been provided with reasonable suspicion that you are a danger to the students of this school. This Blood Quill," he gestured at the not so innocent looking red quill lying on the desk in front of him. "Constitutes reasonable suspicion. The mere possession of it can and will land you in Azkaban for a minimum of eight years."

"The Minister," Umbridge started saying but was cut off by Harry and the stone soldiers as they lifted her in the air.

"Has no say in the matter. You have been caught in possession of a Blood Quill. You will go straight to Azkaban as soon as Auror's arrive to arrest you." Harry said as he got up from his seat. He paused almost immediately as a wave of nausea over whelmed him briefly. One of the stone soldiers, an extension of the castle's consciousness, came forward and helped Harry remain standing so he didn't fall over and empty the few contents of his stomach. "This is – nyah!" Harry gave a sporadic twitch and clutched his stomach as he felt something twitch.

Harry stood there as the soldiers dragged a now screaming Umbridge from the office and down to the dungeons, where there were actual prison cells, unused and hidden, but still there for them to lock her up in. His mind was racing a mile a minute as his nausea increased and his stomach twitched again. It wasn't as strong as it was the first time but it was in such an area where you couldn't help but notice it no matter how insignificant it might have been. A third twitch had him cringing in discomfort as it felt like his organs were literally shifting.

As Harry doubled over in mild pain a song pierced his senses. He looked up and towards the door as the soothing melody washed over his ears. It was a strange tune, one he had never heard before. It sounded strong and powerful, peaceful and profoundly deep, like it had been around for millions of years and could wait a million more before it made a decision on something. Harry's discomfort and pain eased slightly and he managed to straighten up a little bit.

The song continued calling to Harry and he started moving, continually using the stone soldier for support. He made it out of Umbridge's office and out of the DADA classroom without many issues but he was slow going and had to stop several times as the discomfort spiked. Thankfully the halls were completely empty as everyone was down in the Great Hall for lunch and Harry was able to move through the halls without raising any suspicion. He managed to make his way back to his tower where the song was emanating from. When he reached the main floor of his tower Harry made his way towards the hallway that led to the other levels and proceeded down a level where the song was the strongest. The stone soldier stopped moving on the stairs and refused to move down the hallway with the four doors.

Before Harry could ponder why it stopped, Kane appeared and offered Harry his support. They moved down the hall towards the third door, which was practically vibrating from the strength of the beautiful song. Harry opened the door without thought and walked through, only to freeze in shock. He was now standing in the most beautiful terrarium he had ever seen. Massive glass walls rose over two hundred feet into the air, encasing over a thousand plants. Trees taller than those of the Forbidden Forest rose into the air, casting broken shadows over what had to be millions of plants that put Harry's balcony garden to shame.

"What is this place?" Harry gasped out in shock as the song slowly ended. He looked to Kane, who looked just as shocked as him.

"This, great bearer," a voice sounded from deep within the jungle of beautiful plant. "Is the home of your ancestor."

"You've been here?" Kane asked in shock as a badger pushed through the underbrush at the base of one of the massive trees near Harry. "All this time?"

"Yes, my old friend," the badger, Edana obviously, said as she moved forward and brushed up against one of Kane's legs. "I am sorry for the way things had to play out but it was necessary. Rowena was not the only Seer among the founders you know." She paused and looked to Harry as he let out a particularly pain filled whine and doubled over even more. "Come. Let us get you off your feet."

"Why didn't Helga tell any of us that she was a Seer?" Kane asked as they followed Edana through the terrarium, occasionally pausing for either Harry or when Edana started messing with one of the plants. "Surely she knew we wouldn't have held it against her."

"Oh she knew alright," Edana said as they came to a set of outdoor furniture made of cast iron and designed like vines. She ushered Harry into one of the chairs and then wandered towards some of the nearby plants while a tea set appeared on the table. "Helga didn't say anything because of a vision she had when she was a child. She saw two different futures, one where she told and one where she didn't." Edana fussed with the plants for a little while longer before she came back to the table with a paw full of leaves and twigs. She ground them up between her paws before hopping up onto a chair and then the table and put them into the teapot, which immediately started heating up. "While she was on her death bed Helga told me all of this. She did her best to choose the path that would lead to a better future for all of wizard kind. She saw the split coming between her and the others and she did her best to mitigate the damage but she also knew where it would eventually lead so she let it happen."

"As fascinating as this is," Harry said with a cringe. "Truly, but what is going on? Why do my organs feel like they're doing the salsa inside my body? I know you know. _Both _of you." He added with a small glare at Kane, who had the decency to look sheepish.

"Drink," Edana said as she pushed a cup full of the tea she had just made towards Harry. "And do not be angry with Kitty Kane," Kane let out an indignant growl at the old nickname. "He was instructed of the consequences of speaking to you about this matter before you were ready. And to be fair, I'm sure that you know what is going on as well. Drink, it will make you feel better." She added when Harry had yet to touch the cup.

"If I knew, I wouldn't be suffering right now," Harry said as he picked up the cup and took a hesitant sip. As the liquid travelled down his throat he felt his organs calm slightly and he took another sip. Before he knew it he had downed the entire cup. His body seemed to return to normal and even his exhaustion faded slightly. "What was that?" He asked in shock.

"An herbal supplement designed to help reduce the intensity of the symptoms of your situation," Edana explained as she poured Harry some more, only filling the cup halfway this time. "Too much though and it can cause problems, especially in the first stage."

"First stage of what?" Harry asked, getting slightly annoyed that no one was telling him what was going on.

"Think child," Edana said patiently. "You've read some of the medical books in Rowena's tower," Harry quirked an eyebrow at that but didn't comment. "What do you think is going on?" Harry stared at the badger as his brain thought over what he knew about medical conditions. None of the diseases he knew about added up so he moved on to other things.

"There's only one thing that I can think of that might fit but it's entirely impossible." Harry said after a few moments of thinking.

"And why's that?" Edana asked leadingly as she shifted to get more comfortable on the tabletop. "Is it because of your age?"

"It's because I'm male!" Harry said indignantly.

"You said it felt like your organs were doing the salsa," Edana said, sounding like a teacher. "That's because they were actually moving. They still are, you just can't feel it because of the herbs. Every female who gets pregnant goes through this exact same thing only they don't feel it because their bodies are designed for it. Male pregnancies, while exceedingly rare, do happen but they progress much more slowly than normal usual. That is why you're only just now feeling more side effects when you've been pregnant for almost four months now."

"This… is entirely insane." Harry said shaking his head. He wanted to get up and leave but he didn't think he could find his way back to the door that led him here without getting lost among the many plants. "I can't be pregnant. In all my readings I've never even heard that it was even remotely possible for wizards to get pregnant."

"That's because the last person to be conceived in such a manner was Godric's thrice great-grandfather." Kane interjected calmly. "It takes an enormous amount of magical power to even be able to conceive and more still to support both of you through the pregnancy. Because you're body wasn't designed to support a child you will need near constant attention."

"This can't be happening," Harry said in frustration as he leaned his head back and looked up towards the top of the terrarium through the branches of the trees. "We're at war. With me at its center! How am I supposed to bring a child to term on top of everything else that I have going on?"

"You delegate," Edana said as if it should have been obvious. "The war will keep, they always do. Besides, its end is destined to brought about by your child."

"I am not about to follow in the footsteps of my parents," Harry growled defiantly.

"That is not the war she speaks of," another voice cut in, one Harry easily recognized as Aili's. "Tom Riddle is and always has been meant to be brought down by you." Aili flew down from the tree tops and landed on the back of the only vacant chair present. "The war Edana speaks of has been raging on for over a thousand years since the founders split."

"Aili," Harry sighed, his aggravation growing. "Normally I would be happy to play along with your vague riddles but I just found out that I am carrying a child, something that should be entirely impossible, so I am understandably a little overwhelmed and if you're not going to be straight with me then please just don't say anything at all."

"Fair, if a bit curt," Aili conceded, sounding a little put out by Harry's abruptness. "The war is a political war, if you will. The wizarding world is divided, fractured into several different sects; purebloods, half-bloods, and muggleborns, Light wizards and Dark wizards. I could go on but there's really no point. The people are like a chicken with its head cut off. They're leaderless." Aili paused to preen a feather that Harry assumed was bugging her in some fashion. As she took care of it, Edana picked up explaining.

"You're child can end all of that Harry," she said, doing her best to project a calming aura so Harry didn't freak out completely. "It will not only be an heir to all four of the founders, three of whom were royal, but it will be heir to the Malfoy line. An ancient line that is directly descendent from wizard kings. If your child were to seize the throne they would be undisputed and they could end the prejudice against muggleborns and bring back the balance between the Dark and Light wizards."

"An awful lot to place upon the shoulders of a child who hasn't been born yet," Harry commented with a slight trace of bitterness in his voice.

"Less so than what's been put on your shoulders," Aili replied evenly. "At least your child will be able to choose whether they want to do this or not, whereas you have had destiny and fate thrust upon you time and again."

"Well I guess that's a plus," Harry said as he unconsciously wrapped his arms around his stomach. "If it progresses slower, how long does a male pregnancy usually last?"

"It depends actually," Edana said as she picked at something on the table with her claws. "The magical strength of the parent usually determines how long the pregnancy lasts. Given your natural strength I would say that your due date would be around eight to ten months from now. However," she continued when Harry seemed about to panic. "When you take into consideration the extreme boost in power your receive every month I would have to cut that time down to roughly six and a half months, less if you stop the exercises you do to siphon off the excess power."

"So the more magic I have, the faster the baby develops?" Harry questioned and received an affirming nod from each animal. "Brilliant. I don't suppose any of you know how to help deal with such a pregnancy?"

"Helga's healing skills surpassed every mediwitch and wizard of her era and still does so today," Edana said with a nod as she stretched. "I was constantly watching her work and occasionally assisting. I know everything she did and would be delighted to aid in helping you through this. Should something come up that I am ignorant of I'm sure between Rowena's library and Helga's own collection of medical books we can find and fix the issue, though I seriously doubt it would come to that."

"That's good," Harry said with a nod. He was slightly dazed and still processing everything. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"Not much," Edana said after a moment's thought. "I would say avoid getting stressed out but we all know how likely that is to happen." Harry managed a weak laugh at that. "However, if you could manage to remain as calm as possible it would be better for the both of you in the long run." Harry nodded his understanding and she continued. "Other than that you are in good condition. The fetus is healthy and strong and your magic levels are where they should be for this stage in the pregnancy. I don't think I need to tell you how important it is for you to avoid physical altercations or duels that place the both of you at risk."

"No," Harry said with a short sarcastic laugh.

"Good." Edana said as she hopped down off the table. "Then I suggest you come to see me at least twice a week to ensure things progress as smoothly and healthily as possible. I would prefer it if you remained here under my constant care but that would likely cause too many problems for all concerned."

"Why don't you just come back with me?" Harry questioned in confusion.

"Because Hogwarts is not my place," Edana said as she gestured for Harry to get up and follow her while she started off back towards the door Harry came through. "As much as I might miss the place it is no longer a place where I belong. Not to mention I think you have enough familiars wondering around that place and don't need any more."

"Probably," Harry laughed. "It was nice meeting you Edana and thank you for that drink."

"You are quite welcome," Edana said warmly as she stopped next to the door, which was attached to the base of a tree, which was next to a simple yet elegant three story stone cottage. The house was done decorated nicely in earth tones and had over a dozen vines crawling all over it. The building was quite obviously empty but it was nowhere near run down. Harry's hands twitched in a desire to explore the secrets the house might hold. "I will see you in a few days."

"Uh huh," Harry said, still staring at the house longingly. He snapped out of it when Edana laughed softly and Kane nudged his side.

"Don't worry," Edana said as Harry moved forward to open the door. "There will be plenty of time for you to explore."

Harry just nodded with a slight smirk as he moved through the door and back to Hogwarts. His mind was whirling with all the information he had just learned and he was barely paying attention as he made his way back up to the main floor of his tower, keeping a hand in Kane's mane incase he needed support. He went over to his balcony, one of his most favorite places to be, and sat down in one of the comfortable lounge chairs so he could think and come to terms with everything he had just discovered. He was doing his best not to freak out but the fact remained; he was an orphaned fifteen year old, who was _male_, and had just discovered that he was carrying a child, something that he had firmly believed to be completely impossible. Inevitably, Harry brought his knees to his chest and buried his head in them, trying to hide himself from the world.

"Is she off the grounds?" Harry asked, not bothering to look up or remove his head from his knees.

"Yes," the smooth voice of the one person Harry was coming to view as a parent washed over his ears. Severus' voice was carefully calm and neutral. He could tell Harry was upset about something but he didn't know what and he seriously doubted that it had anything to do with what that Ministry bitch had tried to do. "Minerva has investigated the matter and has filed charges against the woman. She has been removed from the grounds and we now find ourselves lacking a Defense teacher."

"Have Sirius fill the post." Harry said absently, still not looking up at Severus. "He has the experience necessary to overcome any lack of proper education and I think he will make the class enjoyable for the students. Make sure he knows that if he turns the class into a circus then he won't be teaching here again."

"I suppose I can suffer the indignation of speaking to him briefly enough to relay that," Severus said with a long suffering sigh as he conjured a chair to sit next to Harry. His mannerisms were intended to try and elicit a laugh out of Harry but only gained a mildly amused snort. Severus waited for a few minutes to see if Harry would volunteer with the information that was upsetting him but when he remained silent he said, "Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to start guessing?"

"You wouldn't believe me," Harry remarked in a huff. "I barely believe it myself."

"Guessing it is then," Severus replied, gaining another snort from Harry. "I highly doubt it has anything to do with Umbridge so is it good news or bad news?"

"Depends on how you look at it," Harry said as he finally stretched out his legs and used the sleeve of his robe to dry the few stray tears that had escaped his eyes. "Though, I suppose it's a good thing really, just quite unexpected. And mildly inconvenient given everything that's going on."

"Harry," Severus said as he leaned forward in his seat towards Harry. "What is it?"

In response, Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at his stomach and said, "_Nos videre caeca._" It was a spell commonly used by mediwitches and wizards to allow them to see a growing fetus. It produced an image similar to a muggle ultrasound but considerably more effective. A soft golden glow enveloped Harry's stomach and a three dimensional image of his internal systems. Everything was healthy but nothing was where it should have been because of the almost miniscule fetus that resided in the center of the image. It was still very small and you could see the beating heart. The baby's tiny limbs twitched as they floated about and as it moved Harry saw that it was a boy. He felt his heart grow absurdly happy and proud at that little fact.

"Is that…?" Severus asked in shock as he stared dumbfounded at the image even as it started to fade.

"Yes," Harry said, somewhat in a daze of his own. "It's my son. I'm four months pregnant."

"I beg your pardon?" A new voice said even as Severus fell off his chair in a dead faint. Harry turned in his chair to see Draco standing in the doorway and looking like a bee had just flown up his nose. "Did you just say you're pregnant?"

"Uh," Harry said elegantly as he stood up too face Draco, careful to step around the unconscious Severus. "Yeah, I did. Believe me I'm just as shocked as you are."

"How are you… you're… how?" Draco stammered.

"Magic evidently," Harry said with a shrug, not entirely concerned with the exact details of how he managed to get pregnant. "I didn't think it was possible either but it has apparently happened before. It just takes an exceptionally strong amount of magic in order to support such an event."

"When did you find out?" Draco asked as he took a few steps forward.

"Just now actually," Harry said as he revived Severus with a quick Rennervate. "The last of the founder's familiars, whom I just met, informed me that this was why I've been so exhausted lately."

Harry then spent the better part of the next thirty minutes reiterating everything that he had learned from Edana about male pregnancies. He did leave out the part about his son being the possible future king of wizarding Britain. He wasn't entirely certain how he felt about that or if he even wanted his child involved in such things. If he had things the way he wanted then he would keep the boy away from anything political but that was a thought for a later date. Especially given how frazzled he was feeling about everything.

"So," Draco said in a daze as he sat in a chair next to Harry. "What're we going to do? The minute this gets out people are going to have a field day."

"It won't get out," Harry said definitively before Severus had a chance to even formulate a response. "No one outside of us three, Hermione and Neville are to know about this. I'd include Luna in that but something tells me she already knows." Draco and Severus both gave agreeing nods at that. Luna was just plain strange, surpassing even Trelawney, another Seer. Everyone who knew or interacted with the girl knew that she was something more than just a Seer. No knew what though and they weren't exactly asking questions to find out either.

"Are you just going to withdraw and hide yourself up here until you give birth?" Severus inquired, knowing that Harry was mature and reasonable enough to make his own decisions. Though to be frank he would likely be thoroughly disappointed if Harry was a girl. Honestly, Harry had every right to believe that he wouldn't get pregnant from unprotected sex but that was quite obviously not the case.

"I will remain in class and the public view until it becomes too apparent to hide." Harry said reasonably as he stared off in the distance thinking and absently holding his stomach. "I won't really be missing much and I can easily learn what I need on my own. I am safe enough behind the schools wards where I won't be in much danger, especially with the wards already on high alert. During the last stages though I think it would be wise and reasonable for me to go and stay with Edana."

"I think," Draco said as he ran his hands through his silky blond hair. "That such decision can wait for the time being. Right now we have other concerns to deal with."

"Like?" Harry asked, noting the slightly worried look in Draco's eyes.

"The reason I came up here looking for you two," Draco said looking between Harry and Severus. "The _Prophet _rushed out an emergency copy. Azkaban was broken into. Over a dozen prisoners were freed, most of whom were Death Eaters."

"I'm hearing another bomb in there somewhere," Harry sighed, doing his best to keep his heart rate level and calm.

"Dumbledore was among the escapees."


	24. Chapter 24: Pregnancy and Birth

**Disclaimer: **The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me

**A/N: **Ok everyone! I am so terribly sorry that it has taken me soooooooo long to get the next chapter up but the training for my new job has had me busier than Santa during Christmas. But here it is! I hope you guys like it. Please review and let me know what you guys think. Also I would like you guys to know that I will also be posting the next chapter for **The Fourth Rider** today as well. Sadly I won't be posting one for Revenge as I am experiencing a bit of writers block with that story but I am working through it so no worries.

Anywhozer! Enjoy! Please review and give me your thoughts.

* * *

><p>CHAPTER 24: PREGNANCY AND BIRTH<p>

"Crap!"

That was what Harry likely would have said aloud if his brain hadn't clicked on something at the mention of Dumbledore's name, which he hadn't truly given much thought to since his trial. Harry's brain went reeling back three years to when he triumphed over the old fool in a duel. He thought particularly on what Dumbledore had spoken just before they started.

"_There is much you are ignorant of boy. That which is promised must not be allowed." _

Yes. That was what he had said. Harry hadn't put much thought into those words at the time given what had been going on but now they seemed to hold much more meaning. Meaning that Harry could see a little more clearly now. Harry growled and narrowed his eyes as he snapped out of his seat and stormed through his tower. Draco and Severus called after him but Harry didn't listen, though he knew they were following him. With his anger taking dominance in his brain the farther he walked, Harry rushed down the stairs to the level with the four doors and stormed through the one that led to Edana's hiding place, wherever that was. Harry still didn't know exactly where in the world she was supposed to be.

The minute Harry crossed the threshold his anger ebbed away. Oh he was still upset but he wasn't blind with it like he was becoming. Confused, but not entirely surprised, Harry pushed forward through the massive terrarium until he located the outdoor set where Edana had explained everything to him. As he had expected, Aili and Edana both were there chatting like old friends… which they were. The two of them looked up in surprise when Harry stormed over to the table and got into Aili's face.

"What does he know?" He demanded, looking the bird dead in the eye.

"Harry what're –" Aili was cut off as Harry leaned even closer.

"_What. Does. He. Know._" Harry's voice was unbending and clearly demanded answers and the glare in his eyes would have frozen Orpheus in place it was so cold. "You told me my child would have a choice and yet Dumbledore, who was just freed from Azkaban, believes that the future will be my son sitting on the throne. What does he know?"

Aili sighed in resignation. "Sit," she said, indicating Draco and Severus, who had followed Harry. Both of them were very obviously stunned at their surroundings but were doing their best to ignore them in favor of paying attention to what was being said. "First, your son does have a choice. _Dumbledore_," she sneered the name. "Has only one part of the picture. The prophecy that Severus overheard and which Dumbledore heard in its entirety is only one prophecy out of a thousand. The future, contrary to what most seem to think, is _not _set in stone. It changes with every choice we make. One Seer sees a future in which your child holds the throne, another sees a future where you and Draco and your child live out peaceful lives after the war. Nothing is set."

"There are thousands of prophecies surrounding Harry and our child?" Draco questioned in shock, voicing Harry's own stunned thoughts.

"In a manner of speaking," Ali answered with a slight nod. "The simple quantity of prophecies emphasizes my point. None of the prophecies say the same thing and none go into any great detail. They leave a great deal of room for change. They leave open many opportunities. Some, which are no longer valid, even stated that you wouldn't become pregnant. The only consistency in the ones that are still possible is that you have a child with Draco."

Harry rubbed his fingers over his forehead in weariness and frustration. He was trying to wrap his brain around everything, he really was, but it was getting to the point where he was starting to feel overwhelmed. Harry suddenly stood up and walked away, saying only that he was going to lie down when the others questioned him. He calmly left the giant terrarium and slowly made his way up the spiral staircase to the second floor of his tower and from there to his bedroom.

Pausing only briefly to kick off his boots, Harry went over to his bed and flopped down face first. With his head buried in his luscious and comfortable bedding, Harry felt comfortably isolated from the rest of the world and all of his problems… most of them anyways. He briefly considered transforming into a panther, as it had a tendency to calm his frantic thoughts, but he wasn't sure what effect it would have on his unborn child so he decided against it. Strangely enough though, Harry found himself lying on his bed as a panther, moments after he had already decided against it. Confused, but not really caring at the moment, Harry just lay there, trying not to think of anything since his life had turned on its head and nothing was the way he thought it was or the way it should have been.

"Harry," came a familiar and welcomed voice from behind Harry. He swished his tail in a welcoming manner and he heard Draco slowly approach the bed and sit on the edge. "Harry I'm sorry about all this. I didn't–" Draco was cut off as Harry lifted his tail and placed it over the blond's mouth and slightly tickling his nose. Harry then hooked his tail around Draco's neck and pulled until the other boy got the hint and laid down next to him.

"None of us knew this was possible," Harry said when he had transformed back to himself. "Because of that we didn't give any consideration to what we were doing. If we knew it were possible we probably would have acted differently."

"That doesn't change the fact that I'm sorry," Draco said as he pulled Harry closer to his chest. "With everything else that we have going on this isn't exactly the greatest time to start raising a child."

"No," Harry agreed as he turned and buried his head into Draco's chest. "But I'm not about to bemoan the situation. I won't let myself view this child as an inconvenience simply because of poor timing and lack of proper education. It was an accident born from ignorance, passion, and desire but that is no reason to dump all that negativity on an innocent child that certainly has no control over the situation."

"I wasn't saying that you should," Draco said calmly, unperturbed by the fire behind Harry's words. "I was merely expressing my concern about raising a child in the middle of a war." Harry grunted his agreement but didn't otherwise respond as he just laid there, trying to wrap his brain around everything.

–Scene Break–

Dumbledore stumbled and fell over a large rock as he pushed his way through the small forest. He hadn't stopped running since he managed to escape from that horrid prison but he had no idea where he was going or where he _should _go. His only thought in his mangled and slightly maddened mind was to get away. The wand he had managed to snatch off an unconscious Auror before he left the island felt cold and detached in his hand but that mattered little to him. He knew how to work with a wand that wasn't his.

"Well, well," a voice sounded from above Dumbledore, who was still laying face first in the dirt. "What do we have here?"

"Looks like a lost toy that no one wants to play with," another voice said, this one female and sounding very insane. "I should so love to play with him though. It's been such a long time since I've played with someone, particularly someone who deserves it."

"Calm yourself dear Bella," yet another voice said this one triggering something in Dumbledore's scattered brain. "He was freed to help us."

"Help us?" Bellatrix cackled with mad laughter. There was a hint of anger to her voice though, one that was reciprocated by the other people present. "He's half the reason we were in that hell. How could he help us? Why should we let him anyways?"

"We're not going to _let _him," the only sane sounding voice answered. Dumbledore managed to look up to see the speaker as Lucius Malfoy, though it took him a while to place the voice, between his fractured mind and the scars marring the once elegant voice of the fallen Lord Malfoy. "We're going to _make _him. We need every ounce of help and protection we can get if we're to defend against and defeat Potter."

"Why should we fear a mere child?" A different escapee demanded in a heated voice. "What possible threat could a mere child pose?"

"You forget that the child defeated our Lord when he was a mere infant," Lucius reminded in a hissing voice. "And again only a few months ago when I finally managed to return him to full power. You did not see the display that the child put on while doing so either. He managed to predict exactly what we had planned in order to return the Dark Lord to his former glory and derailed the plans entirely. He is a force to be reckoned with and if we are to have any hope of fighting him then we need both our lord and this wretch."

"How is he to help us Lucius?" Bellatrix queried in her child like voice, a voice that sent shivers up and down Dumbledore's withered spine.

"Well he's going to help us return our lord to power to start," Lucius purred dangerously, though the effect was ruined by his broken voice. "Then he is going to help us by divulging all the pretty little secrets he has about wards and other protection spells. After that… well I guess you can play with him to your heart's content Bell."

The cackling of mad and gleeful laughter was the last thing that Dumbledore heard before he was Apparated away.

–Scene Break–

"Blast it all," Harry grumbled in annoyance as he reluctantly pulled away from Draco's warm embrace and stood up, slipping into his boots as he made his way towards his door. "Can't get a single bloody moment of peace."

"What's wrong Harry?" Draco questioned as he chased after the speedy boy.

"The Minister just flooed into the Headmistress' office," Harry explained wearily as he sidled past a surprised Severus on the stairs as he was making his way up from Helga's home. "He's currently ranting at Minerva about how much nerve she has to levy accusations against one of his own people."

"And this concerns you how?" Severus inquired from his place behind Draco as the three of them marched out of Harry's tower and down the hallways.

"Because I'm tired of that puffed up fool trying to interfere with this school because he's too stupid to get his head out of the sand." Harry growled as he marched up the spiral staircase to the Headmistress' office.

"The audacity to file charges against a Ministry employee is simply unheard of!" The Minister was raging when Harry and the other's walked through the door.

"Not entirely considering that several Ministry employee's in the past have been brought up on charges of embezzling, racketeering, assault, and various other offenses," Harry countered as he cut off the man's rant that hadn't stopped since he walked through the fireplace. Poor Minerva had been unable to get a word in edge wise and she was actually rather grateful that Harry had finally managed to cut him off, so were her ears.

"You!" Fudge growled as he rounded on Harry, looking very much like Vernon with his purple face. "I don't know what game you're playing at Potter or how you managed to convince everyone that you own Hogwarts but–"

"Cornelius Fudge!" Harry barked in annoyance and with such authority that Fudge snapped his mouth shut without even realizing that he did so. "I have had just about enough of you. Right now you have two choices. You can get your head out of your ass, realize what danger we all are in, and join forces with us to resist the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters, or you can get the hell off my property before I have you detained as a possible threat to the safety of this school and its students. Before you answer," Harry continued just as Fudge opened his mouth to speak. He took a few, menacing steps forward. The look in Harry's two toned eyes and the scowl on his face made him look far more imposing than any regular fifteen year old student. "Consider this. You are currently standing on the grounds of an independent organization. Hogwarts is, essentially, its own country and you do not have diplomatic immunity here the way you would in other countries. I have the power to detain you indefinitely if I see fit. So what'll it be Minister? The dungeons? Or an alliance that ensures the survival of us both?"

"I should have you arrested," Fudge whispered, shock and fear evident in his voice.

"But you won't, because you can't," Harry said with a rather nasty grin on his face that did nothing to reduce his intimidating demeanor. "Now choose."

"I will not bow down to a child who's in over their head," Fudge snarled defiantly, some of his earlier bluster returning.

"Buh bye then," Harry said in an almost childlike manner, including a small wave. Fudge suddenly went flying backwards and into the fireplace that suddenly flared green. A small startled scream could be heard just before Fudge vanished into the flames and the fireplace sealed itself to the point where nothing but smoke could get in or out of the chimney.

"That's… gonna cause problems," Draco remarked with a slight snicker that took the edge off of his attempt at seriousness. "I'm assuming you ejected him because you didn't really have anything to hold him on?"

"Unfortunately," Harry said with a small huff. "And I doubt it'll cause as many problems as you'd think. He was already trying to debunk my credibility and he can't do much more than he already has been in that arena. I honestly can't see anything else that he could do that wouldn't make himself look stupid and willfully endangering the students here, which would have him thrown out of office faster he was just thrown out of here."

"It would still be wise to think of some sort of backup plan," Minerva said from her place behind her desk. She was still rubber her ears to try and rid herself of the ringing that had taken up residence in her ears ever since Fudge had started his ranting. "Just in case he tries something stupid."

"Yes," Harry said, somewhat distantly as his eyes drifted slightly over to a painting, which so happened to have Godric leaning against the back of the regular occupants chair. "A backup plan would be prudent. I can't imagine anything he would be able to pull that would have any real effect but we should prepare nonetheless."

"Harry?" Draco questioned. He caught the way Harry's eyes had drifted and the seemingly distracted way in which he spoke. His confusion and curiosity grew when Harry barely glanced at him and shook his head so minutely that Draco could barely enough to be noticed.

"What're you hiding Harry?" Severus asked, ever the observant man.

"Not a thing," Harry said almost convincingly enough to be believed, though none of them fell for it. "I'll be off resting and thinking of plans to negate the Minister's temper tantrum. I suggest you inform Sirius of his new post so he can get caught up and prepared since it is Friday."

Harry calmly walked from the room, as if everything that had happened in the past four hours hadn't happened. He calmly made his way down the spiral staircase of the Headmistress' office and quietly slipped into hidden passages of Hogwarts. He could hear someone following him but didn't give it much mind since he knew who it was. Harry meandered his way through the tunnels, pausing briefly here and there to allow his tail to keep up, but not enough to make them think that he knew they were there. Eventually, Harry walked through a door and into the Sanctuary that resided beneath the dungeons and housed the paintings of the four founders.

"So," Harry said as he walked over to the chair by the fireplace and sat down. "Who wants to go first?"

"We're not judging you Harry," Rowena said calmly as she came closer to the edge of the painting. She had been farther back, mingling with the various animals that tended to come and go from her painting. "If any of us had been in your situation we would not have been so restrained. If that man had been around when we were alive and had attempted to do what Fudge did then he likely would not have left the castle with his life."

"Fair enough I suppose," Harry said but waited for the other shoe to drop. It came in the form of Godric when he returned to his painting.

"That being said," the fighter said. "We would not recommend implementing that safety measure. You know as well as us that it cannot be reversed once it is activated."

"And if I have no choice?" Harry questioned reasonably, glancing briefly to the partly ajar door when it shifted. "With Voldemort on the rise, the Death Eaters in a panic, and Dumbledore on the loose and now Fudge on our case this school is in a great deal of danger. I have a lot on my plate to deal with and when you add in bringing a child to term and then raising it… I could slip and something could happen." Even as he said it Harry felt a slight twitch in his stomach, like the baby knew it was being talked about.

"You're just as cunning and wilily as me," Salazar said, earning himself a smirk and a small snort from Harry in amusement. "You know that sometimes you simply have to wait and see how things play out before you act."

"I know," Harry said with a nod as he ran a hand through his unruly hair. "But that doesn't make it any easier. Are you sure that there's no way to reverse it?"

"None that the four of us could think of or found," Helga said with a shake of her head, causing her curly blond locks to bounce. "It was developed and created long before out time, we merely expanded upon it. None of the notes or books we had on it detailed any way to reverse the effect. We assumed that whoever created it didn't have a chance to fully experiment with their creation before they died, or just never bothered to get around to it."

"Very well," Harry sighed in resignation. "But I will not hesitate to activate it should it become necessary." The founders looked hesitant and wary but agreed nonetheless. They had put it in place for a reason after all. Harry turned his attention to the door and smirked in amusement and said, "You can come in now Draco."

–Scene Break–

Two days after Harry discovered his pregnancy and had the confrontation with the Minister he padded his way on the silent paws of his panther form through the Forbidden Forest. His ears continuously rotated in every direction, picking up every sound, no matter how small. He knew he was walking through the territory of several different magical and normal creatures. He could sense their presence as easily as they could sense his. Harry was nearing the boundary line of Hogwarts' grounds that cut through the forest. He hoped that he didn't have to go beyond it but he would if necessary. He needed to talk with a specific race that resided within this forest.

Just as he was about to cross the wards, Harry froze when he heard the nearly inaudible sound of a hoof making contact with the forest floor. Harry calmly sat down where he was and waited. His tail idly twitched back and forth as he sat there, waiting. His eyes shifted to every corner within his range of sight, keeping an eye out for anything that might pose a threat. Occasionally his eyes would drift towards the ceiling of branches in search of the lone bat that had a tendency to follow him. Thankfully, there was nothing in the branches that didn't belong there. Given that it was midnight, it wasn't entirely surprising to find nothing there but since he needed to be alone for this meeting he had to check.

"What business does a shape changer have this far into our forest?" A smooth and strange voice sounded to Harry's right. Harry turned his head to his right to see a group of five centaurs walking around one of the pines.

"Business that must be discussed with you of course," Harry said in a respectful voice when he had returned to his human form. "As heir to the four your race struck a bargain with a thousand years ago, I came to discuss a matter of great importance with your chief."

"We do not–" a black haired and black bodied centaur started to say before he was cut off by one of the others present.

"Quiet Bane," a chestnut centaur said as he stepped forward, signaling the other's to lower their bows. "The boy speaks truth. I am Magorian. Of what matter have you come to discuss Harry Potter."

Harry quirked an eyebrow at the fact that Magorian knew his name when he had never met a centaur before but didn't comment. "I assume that you and your kind know of the wizard war that wages outside this forest." Bane made to make a comment but a stamping of a hoof from Magorian silenced him.

"We do," Magorian confirmed with a nod before turning his head slightly to glare Bane into submission.

"I'm not here to ask for your assistance, I know centaurs rarely get involved with human matters," Harry said when he allowed the staring contest to stretch for a respectable amount of time. "Smart really." That comment earned him a few surprised looks from the other centaurs present. "However, due to recent events, it might become prudent for a certain safety measure to be activated in order to protect the castle and its students. I felt it prudent to give you ample warning."

"I was unaware that things had gotten that bad," Magorian said in mild surprise.

"I have three forces gunning for my head and the control of Hogwarts," Harry said in all seriousness. "It could get that bad. I also wish to request a favor."

"What favor be that?" Magorian said as he shifted nervously. The news Harry had brought did not sit well on his shoulders.

"I am incapable of communicating with the other denizens of the forest. It would be immensely appreciated if you would spread the word among the other creatures about this." Harry said, choosing his words carefully. Dealing with the centaurs was tricky business and one wrong step could end the encounter in blood. "It has also come to my attention that the Ministry has been restricting your territory of late." He paused briefly when his words ignited anger within the present centaurs. "In an effort to repay the debt that my favor would incur, I would like to offer an olive branch of sorts. Since part of the forest resides within Hogwarts borders it is classified by the Ministry and Hogwarts itself as the property of Hogwarts and its owner, me. As the Ministry holds no sway over me or the institution I am offering you sanctuary within Hogwarts' wards where the Ministry cannot restrict your territory. As I understand it, there would be plenty of room for you to spread out."

Everyone was silent for a long time. Centaurs, long living creatures that they were, had a tendency to take a while to think things over. Harry wasn't worried though. He had been expecting them to fall into a silent contemplation when he brought this up. He had spoken at length, in private, with the founders' portraits about this so he could prepare things in case it came down to him activating the safety measure, though he truly didn't want to. When he was first told about it, it had frightened him and fascinated him about it all at the same time. Due to everything he had going on at the time though, he had simply put it from his mind and had forgotten about it until the Friday past when he had found out he was pregnant and had expelled the Minister all in the same day.

"So be it," Magorian suddenly spoke, drawing Harry out of his thoughts. "Your bargain is accepted. We will spread the word and will move our camp to within your boundaries. I hope that the war does not get to that point though. From what I understand, such an act is more of a gambit and could easily turn on us all."

"May we all hope," Harry said with a small bow before he turned and trotted off, becoming nothing but a wisp of darkness among the black forest.

–Scene Break–

"You've been awfully quiet lately Harry," Hermione said as her, Draco, Harry, Neville, and Luna sat together in the Great Hall. It was currently Christmas break and while a surprisingly large amount of students had opted to remain at Hogwarts, no one was bothering to segregate by house. Indeed, quite a number of students were gathered at what was normally the Slytherin table and were watching Sirius and the Weasley twins perform various tricks.

"Just had a lot going on is all," Harry said with a mild shrug as he subtly ran a hand over his now showing stomach. Each of the others knew Harry was pregnant and while it had shocked everyone but Luna, they all understood the strain that was being put on the fifteen year old due to everything else that was being lumped on the boy's shoulders on top of the pregnancy. "Fudge is still trying to find a way to have me arrested on two accounts of assault, Umbridge is outright furious that I've offered open arms to the centaurs, and god only knows what the Death Eaters and Dumbledore have been up to." What Harry had failed to mention was that he had been spending at least an hour of regular time in the Time Room up in Rowena's tower reading dozens upon dozens of books that even so much as hinted towards the safety measure the founders had put into place. He was desperately trying to find some way to safely reverse its effects without completely destroying the castle.

"Yes it is very disturbing that they have been so quiet," Remus' gentle voice cut in from behind Harry as he approached the table where Harry and the others were sitting. Harry smiled slightly when he saw Severus trailing behind and looking decidedly content. "I would have expected Albus to move sooner than this to try and restore his reputation."

"The broken one has him and won't let him go until he is finished," Luna spoke up suddenly, gaining everyone's instant attention. Ever since the mystical fourth year had attached herself to Harry's group of friends they had all come to realize that while most of what she said sounded like nonsense, she was actually far more informed than any of them could ever hope.

"Finished with what Luna?" Harry questioned curiously. He sighed in mild agitation when the girl remained silent and continued to read her copy of the Quibbler. "Well we can at least assume that Dumbledore is being held against his will, likely by the Death Eaters since they're the only ones that would have cause to do so, but the question is, why?"

"Well he does have a fairly large knowledge base of old and complicated magic," Severus interjected reasonably. "They could be trying to force him to divulge some of it, like maybe of a way to breach the castle. He does after all know of a spell that can nearly pierce the blood wards."

"Would Dumbledore have any knowledge of potions perhaps?" Draco questioned with mild apprehension in his voice.

"Knowledge perhaps but he is no Potion Master," Severus said as he gave Draco a searching look.

"Hmmm," Draco hummed in thought as he leaned forward on the table and interlocking his fingers against his chin. He was silent for a time, tapping his connected hands against his face in thought before he finally spoke up again. "If he had knowledge of a certain potion then Lucius could certainly… _acquire_ a more skilled Potion Master in order to achieve his goal."

"Do you know of a potion he might attempt to make or want made?" Neville asked as he idly slung an arm around the back of Luna's chair. The two had been growing closer lately and Neville was finally starting to truly heal from his trauma under the strange but persistent nurturing of Luna.

"As far as I know, it has no name," Draco said, sounding ominous. "But several books in the Manor refer to a potion that could be used to recreate or clone a human body. I've never studied it in any real depth but from what I understand it's like a weird amalgamation of healing potions, bone growing potions, blood replenishing potions, aging potions, and a couple others that I don't remember."

"That's… disturbing," Hermione said with a disgusted grimace.

"Indeed," Severus said with a nod. "If they could make that then they would be able to return the Dark Lord to full power. It would also explain why they've been so quiet over the past several months. A potion like that would take months to brew properly."

"They must be held up somewhere extremely secret and warded to the teeth too because none of the tracking spells I've tried have been able to locate them," Harry said as he shifted in his seat. His fact twitched slightly as the baby moved with him. "Even the more darker spells weren't able to give me any sort of location on Lucius or Dumbledore."

"_I think you should stop concerning yourself with them for the time being,_" Orpheus suddenly hissed as he slithered his way up Harry's chair. The snake had been curiously absent for the past few days, leaving him with only Kane, Aili, and Edana to talk to. Don't get him wrong, he liked talking with all of his familiars but Orpheus had a tendency to be a more fascinating conversationalist than the others. "_After all, if you cannot find them, then there is not much you can do about them until they make a move._"

"_True but one should never forget about their enemies,_" Harry said logically, to which Orpheus hissed mildly in amusement.

"_Funny you should say that,_" Orpheus hissed as he wrapped his coils around Harry's shoulders, releasing some of the pent up tension in the muscles as he did so. "_Because you have forgotten a key piece of the puzzle. The Horcruxes._"

"I haven't forgotten about those," Harry said in mild annoyance at the snake for thinking such thoughts. "I've tried several spells in an attempt to track those horrid things down and came up with as much information as I would get as if I had tried to get blood from stone."

"_My apologies then,_" Orpheus hissed as he flexed his coils some more to try and calm the agitated teen. "_I did not know. However, I believe I may have something on that front._ _You are familiar with the Room of Requirement yes?_"

–Scene Break–

Harry sighed briefly in mild annoyance and no small amount of boredom. It was nearing April and his tenth month of pregnancy. He had retreated from the public eye in the middle of February when his situation started to get to the point when it could no longer be hidden. None of the staff or students at Hogwarts, with the exception of Minerva and Harry's close friends, knew where or why he had retreated but they were not overly concerned as Severus had concocted the ruse that Harry was suffering from Dragon Pox and was under the constant care of both Madam Pomfrey and a healer from St. Mungo's.

However, things were taking a little longer than they had anticipated. Based off of Edana's information and predictions they had expected the baby to be born somewhere between January and March but he had yet to go into labor, or whatever the male equivalency was supposed to be. Edana had run several scans and all had come back perfectly fine, simply stating that the baby wasn't quite fully developed yet. Madam Pomfrey was constantly on standby to help deliver when the time came and Harry had a bracelet that was charmed to alert her should she not be around when he went into labor.

To be honest though, Harry was somewhat glad that he hadn't gone into labor when they had expected him too. The months of January, February, and March had not been the best of months. The Death Eaters had decided at that time to lay an assault against the magical community in an attempt to assert their superiority and since they couldn't attack Harry directly, though it didn't stop them from trying. Almost five times a week a small group of Death Eaters attempted to penetrate the castle, be it directly or through some of the more widely known secret passages and they had yet to stop. The Minister was attempting to pin the fault for the attacks on Harry but a surprisingly few actually believed him. Indeed, many wizarding families had seen fit to take Harry up on his long standing offer of shelter. Given that Hogsmeade had been attacked several times, the monthly visits had been cancelled and the village's inhabitants had abandoned it all together and retreated to the castle.

"Hey!" Hermione's voice called from behind Harry, who was sitting on the windowsill in his room and staring out over the grounds.

"Hey Hermione," Harry greeted as he turned back towards her and stood up. "How were classes?"

"Classes," Hermione said with a shrug, causing Harry to smirk in amusement, even as he cringed slightly as the baby moved. His stomach was getting very large and it was making it difficult for him to move but he managed to move from the windowsill over to his bed. "How're you doing?"

"He's been very active today," Harry complained as he leaned back in his bed against a mountain of pillows. "I don't think I've had five minutes of peace because of him."

"Wait until he's born," Hermione joked, gaining a small chuckle from the raven haired youth. It was short lived however when Harry cringed in discomfort. "Do you want me to fetch Madam Pomfrey or Edana?"

"No," Harry said with a small shake of his head. "He probably just touched a nerve is alllllllllllll!" He dragged out the last word as his stomach clenched painfully. "That, wasn't the baby." Harry said even as his stomach clenched again.

"I'll go get Pomfrey," Hermione said and made to rush from the room but she stopped when Harry latched onto her arm.

"There's no need," Harry said as he hooked his middle finger around the bracelet on his right wrist and clenched his hand, causing the simple chain to snap. "She should be here soon."

"What do you need me to do?" Hermione asked as Harry clenched again. It was obvious that Harry was going into labor but she didn't know what to do, she had never known anyone to be pregnant before. Unfortunately, before Harry could reply, the castle groaned and the wards suddenly flared to life as over a hundred spells made impact.

"Shit!" Harry swore even as his stomach clenched again. "They would choose NOW of all bloody times to attack. I'm sorry Hermione but we can't wait for Poppy, you're going to have to do this."

"ME!? Do what!?" Hermione questioned in shock.

Harry's response was to bring Hermione closer and he laid his right hand on her temple. A thousand images and a thousand words flitted across Hermione's mind. Anything and everything Harry had ever read about pregnancies, female and male, and everything about cesarean sections. How they were performed with magic, how to properly and safely remove the baby from the womb for both the mother and child. All the spells that a mediwitch or wizard would use and how to perform them; Hermione knew it all and was now as educated in birthing as any professionally trained person.

"You have to hurry Hermione," Harry said as another round of spells hit the wards, making them groan in protest. "The wards are holding but I doubt they will for long. Voldemort, Dumbledore, and every Unspeakable that works for the Ministry is out there, sooner or later they will breach them."

"Can't we just evacuate the castle?" Hermione questioned, even as she pulled out her wand and started casting while simultaneously summoning an elf to fetch potions that Harry needed to drink from Pomfrey's stores.

"No," Harry said as his shirt and outer robes vanished, revealing his rotund belly. Hermione's clothes were changed into scrubs and she was wearing arm length rubber gloves. "I'm in no condition to move and we would be just leading the students right into the Death Eater's arms. Half the grounds are surrounded by the Ministry while the other half is surrounded by no less than a hundred Death Eaters. Goes to show the competency of the Ministry doesn't it."

"Only you could joke while in labor Harry," Hermione snickered as she forced a numbing potion down Harry's throat.

Harry grinned even as his stomach clenched and Hermione used her wand to make an incision into Harry's stomach. Harry cringed but didn't otherwise protest at the cut. Once the cut had gone deep enough Hermione stopped the spell and cast one to widen it and then one to keep it open. She was just about to cast a spell so she could see what she was doing when a tiny hand poked its way through the opening and groped around. Hermione paused momentarily in shock and wonder as she allowed the blood streaked hand to latch onto hers with a surprisingly strong grip.

"Harry!" A voice from the bedroom doorway snapped Hermione out of her stupor. She glanced to the side when Draco stopped next to the bed, the words he was about to say dying in his mouth.

"Get a bucket of warm water Draco," Hermione ordered as she gently lifted the baby through the incision and clipped the umbilical cord with a simple spell. Despite his stunned state, Draco waved his wand and conjured a basin of warm water to wash the baby in. "Here," she said when she had finished cleaning and wrapping the baby.

She passed the baby off to Draco, who nervously cradled the child against his chest. Hermione was just about to seal Harry up when another tiny hand poked its way around. She stared in shock as even _another_ tiny arm revealed itself on the opposite side of the incision, in such a position where it would be impossible for it to be the second babies other limb. None of their scans, not one gave any indication that there was more than one child. So, understandably both Hermione and Draco stood there staring in wonder, even as the castle continued to protest against the assault being laid against it.

"I'm here!" Madam Pomfrey called in a rushed voice as she came around the edge of the doorway, followed quickly by Severus, Remus, Neville, Luna, and Minerva. They all paused in shock, save Luna of course, when they saw what Hermione and Draco were seeing. Only Poppy managed overcome her shock quick enough to continue with the birthing. Hermione quickly snapped out of it as well and started assisting, bathing and wrapping the unexpected children.

"How did none of the scans pick this up?" Hermione questioned as she cradled the third and last child against her chest while Poppy patched Harry up.

"I've no idea," a new voice sounded. All but Harry and Poppy turned to see Edana making her way towards the bed, followed by Kane, who had Aili ridding on his back and Orpheus wrapped around his mane. Edana continued speaking even as she hopped up onto the bed next to Harry. "None of my spells, spells Helga herself would have used, picked it up either. Were you expecting this Aili?"

"No," Aili said with a shake of her feathered head. She flapped off Kane's back to perch on the back of a nearby chair. "The prophecies only ever stated one child, the possible future king of wizarding Britain. They never even hinted at the possibility of other children."

"There is one," Luna said as she situated herself in front of one of the large windows and stared out over the grounds. She seemed uncharacteristically serious and clearheaded. "It is a closely guarded prophecy, one that was made in the first century by an ancestor of Merlin. Only one person has ever heard the prophecy and after they killed Merlin's ancestor, who was already one foot in the grave, they ran to the farthest reaches where no one would find him."

"Why?" Harry managed to ask when Madam Pomfrey finished sealing his stomach and casting a dozen other healing charms. He was still very weak but he managed to sit up. He wanted to hold his babies but he knew that wasn't possible at the moment.

"He was frightened," Luna said as if that explained everything. "The prophecy wasn't exactly a pretty one and knowing too much of the future when you're not a Seer can have… effects. Even if you are a Seer there are still problems. Why do you think Trelawney is the way she is?"

"Well," Harry said as he weakly shifted so he was sitting up on the edge of the bed. Poppy protested heatedly but he held up his hand to silence her. "This fascinatingly informative conversation will have to wait until later, when we aren't being attacked."

"You are in no fit condition to go out there and fend off that hoard." Severus snarled protectively as Kane made his way over to Harry's side to help support him.

"I know," Harry said in a deathly calm voice that did nothing to ease anyone's worries.

"Think about this Harry," Aili said as she tracked Harry's progress across the room and towards the fireplace. "There won't be any going back."

"Blood wards may be the most powerful wards in existence but that's only if their caretaker is in good enough condition to maintain them. I am too weak magically to continue supporting the wards and they are barely holding together," Harry said as he reached up to touch three points on the mantle with his first, middle, and ring finger on his left hand. He pushed his fingers into the solid stone and turned. "Once they're breeched then the castle will run with rivers of blood. There's no going back from that either. Nif!" He called before anyone else could say anything more.

"Yes master Harry?" The proper little elf said with a bow when it had popped into the room.

"Get the potions." Harry ordered and the elf popped away even as the fireplace started moving. The entire structure split in half. Both halves moved out of the way to reveal an alcove that baffled every witch and wizard present, again save for Luna, who was still staring out over the grounds. The alcove appeared to be empty save for the single hole in the middle of the wall that was about twice the size of a human fist. "You drop those babies and you'll answer to me." Harry warned with a glare over his shoulder before he stepped into the alcove and drew his wand. "May the gods have pity on us," Harry whispered quietly to himself.

With a deep steadying breath, Harry pointed his wand at his right bicep, just below the shoulder joint and whispered a spell. He hissed as his skin split open and he dragged his wand down his arm, doing his best to follow the veins. Madam Pomfrey and Severus rushed forward to stop him but Kane whirled around and growled threateningly at them, reminding them all of the lion he truly was. Harry continued splitting his skin until he had a nice long gash stretching from this shoulder to the tip of his middle finger. With another deep breath, Harry lifted his bleeding arm and slipped it into the hole.


	25. Chapter 25: What is it to raise a child

**Disclaimer: **The Characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me.

**A/N: **Wow it's been ages. Sorry guys. Between work and writers block I've had one heck of a time getting this chapter finished. But it's here! At last! I know you guys have been starved for the update for this story for a while now and I do apologize. Enjoy! And let me know what you think.

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><p>CHAPTER 25: WHAT IS IT TO RAISE A CHILD BUT A PLEASING PAIN?<p>

"Minerva," Harry said, even as he winced minutely as the hole he stuck his arm into clamped down around his limb. "Are all the students in their dorms?"

"Yes and the faculty are patrolling the main hallways," Minerva answered almost reflexively. Just as she finished speaking, the castle gave a mighty lurch, followed by another. "Would you care to explain what it is that you're doing?"

"A view if you please darling," Harry whispered quietly. In response, every wall and floor of his tower became completely transparent. Everyone in his room was provided with a perfect view of what was happening around the entire grounds of Hogwarts. "I have activated a very, very last resort and likely to kill us all safety measure that the founders put in place in the event that the wards weren't enough to guard the castle."

"If it is likely to kill us all, how is it a safety measure?" Severus bit out as he remained standing where Kane had stopped him and Poppy from rushing to Harry's side.

"You miss understand Severus," Harry said as his knees nearly gave out as pain spiked through his arm. He downed another potion bottle that Nif handed him before continuing. "I don't mean kill everyone in the castle. I mean, _everyone._"

Before anyone could question him further, the castle and grounds gave another mighty lurch and a few of them, thankfully not those holding a newborn, were sent to their knees. Down on the grounds, Harry could see a column of the castle's stone soldiers, the ones that had been patrolling the grounds since June when Voldemort kidnapped him, hurriedly making their way back into the castle's stone walls. Just as the last of them reached the doors, the earth split apart in four locations, each a cardinal point.

When Harry saw that he placed his free hand, after downing another potion of course, on a stone three spaces over and two down from where his arm was being held captive and heaved with what little might he could muster. Thankfully, the half ton piece of stone slid inward, causing a section of stone on the wall to his left open and an obsidian lever with a multicolored jewel at the top to fall towards him. Harry gave the lever a look that said, 'all or nothing' and he lifted his foot and shoved the lever back into the wall. Hogwarts let out a massive, ear rattling scream and Harry's arm was finally released, allowing him to collapse to the ground.

"What are those things?" Hermione asked in shocked horror as she stared down at the grounds. The assault on the castle had stopped the minute the ground had started breaking apart. Now, at the edge of the boundary lines there were at least fifty spikes that were at least forty feet high and looked to run deeper than that underground.

"Haven't you heard the stories Hermione?" Harry said as he lifted himself to his feet. He sounded scared, awed, and just a little bit scary all at the same time. "Haven't you heard of the darkness, of the boogey man; the stories that teach little children to be scared of the dark?" He knew that she wasn't even looking at the spikes that were out on the ground, the spikes that had begun to rotate and spin around the entire perimeter of Hogwarts grounds. "Didn't you know," he continued as he managed to step out of the fireplace and towards his captive audience. "That the darkness has been feared for a reason? Most call it a silly irrationality, some just shrug it off as insignificant, few embrace it, but what none of them realize is that the darkness is very real. It exists, its monsters are real, it isn't just a dark fairytale to frighten little kiddies. Nothing can control this… and I just woke it up."

Each break in the ground at each of the cardinal points exploded. From the closest one a massive claw could be seen reaching up into the sky. It was easily ten times larger than Hagrid's entire house and it was nothing but bone. Slowly, a dark mist gathered around the massive bones that continued to rise from the ground. To the on lookers it was as if they were watching a fast rewinding of a body's decomposition. Muscles and tissues began to grow. Black blood started pulsing through nonexistent veins. Soon, an entire body, as massive and as large as any ten houses stacked on top of each other stood in the middle of Hogwarts grounds, rivaling the castle in sheer size. It was then that Harry was rather grateful that Hogwarts' grounds were considerably large.

"They look like dragons," Neville said, fear evident in his voice.

"No," Harry said gravely as he stood at the window staring at the creatures that would've sent dragons running for the hills. "They are so not dragons. Dragons are wild and young. These… these creatures are the oldest beings in the entire cosmos and they are the last of their race. They were there long before time was time, before planets were planets, before suns were suns. These, are the physical embodiments of the space between the stars. The Tenebris." As if they could hear every word Harry spoke, the Tenebris, all four of them, snapped their newly reconstructed heads around to stare directly at him.

"_Who dares to have woken we who have walked among the stars?_" A loud voice boomed across the entire grounds, the words clearly audible to everyone within a dozen miles.

"Harry James Potter, Lord of Hogwarts, Lord Gryffindor, Prince Ravenclaw, Heir of Slytherin, and Prince Hufflepuff," Harry declared, his voice magically amplified by the creatures below. As he spoke the castle gave a jarring lurch that caused several other people to stumble but went unnoticed by Harry as he stood rooted on the spot staring at the Tenebris. "The only one with the knowledge and means to wake you."

"_For what reason have you woken us?_" The Tenebris questioned as the giant spikes that had been spinning around the edge of the grounds pulsed ominously and appeared to sink into the ground.

"You agreed, over a thousand years ago, to protect this castle should it be deemed necessary," Harry said in a respectable voice. "I do not presume to have any sort of control over mighty beings such as you but it has been deemed necessary and that is why I woke you."

There were a few minutes of silence, all encompassing silence even though the castle continued to grumbled and shake. "You are as wise and as respecting as your ancestors… and just as afraid. Congratulations young heir. You have won our approval. Rest, we shall guard the castle as we promised long ago. There will no doubt be time for us to converse later."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and he nearly fell to his knees, his weariness and exhaustion taking over. He likely would have collapsed entirely if Severus' strong hands hadn't caught him at the last second and lead him over to his bed as the walls of his tower returned to normal. Severus and Poppy fussed over Harry for several minutes, Poppy running scans to check his health and Severus assisting Harry in getting more comfortable.

"Will Master Harry be needing anything else?" Nif questioned as he rung his hands and looked to Harry in worry. The castle had finally stopped making noises and everything seemed to grow unnaturally silent.

"Some soup would be nice if you wouldn't mind," Harry said weakly as he gestured to Hermione, Draco, and Remus to come closer with his babies. "You may also turn over the remaining crates of blood replenishing potions to the infirmary. I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will appreciate them."

"Crate_s_?" Severus questioned, emphasizing the s.

"Yes crates," Harry said with a nod as he stared down at the baby girl Hermione had handed him, his second born. "Twenty to be exact. I've been brewing them every chance I got ever since I kicked Fudge from the castle. I wasn't sure how much blood would be required so I wanted to make sure I had enough, especially if I ended up having to activate everything while pregnant."

"You've been planning for this for six months?" Severus questioned in shock as Nif reappeared with the requested soup and vanished once again. "Why didn't you tell any of us? And for that matter what else did you do?"

"Because I had hoped that I would never have had to activate it," Harry said as he shifted his hold on his newborn so he could take a few spoonfuls of soup. Draco took it upon himself to situate himself next to Harry on the bed and hold their baby girl so he could eat freely. "As for what else I did… look outside and you'll see."

Severus glared briefly at Harry before he turned towards a window and looked outside. At first, all he saw was the grounds, the Tenebris, and clouds. The entire castle and grounds were surrounded by white billowy clouds. Severus was about to demand more answers from Harry when the clouds shifted and he saw the truth. Hogwarts was no longer surrounded by mountains and plains. Instead, they were surrounded by endless expanses of open skyline.

"Eighteen thousand feet in the air," Harry said to the man's shocked expression. His news caused everyone else in the room to stare at him in shock, except Draco who had a mild inkling of what Harry had done since he had eavesdropped on that first conversation Harry had with the founders. "This castle now sits on a pillar of stone that stretches eighteen thousand feet in the air. It is protected by not only the blood wards but every last single anti noticing charm there is. Due to the three dozen unplottable and anti tracking charms that now surround the castle its location has been completely wiped from all Ministry records and anyone who is not me, the Headmistress, or the staff know where Hogwarts is, even though we are still in the same spot." Harry paused briefly to down more soup before he continued. "Anyone looking upon our pillar will simply think that it is an odd monument, a strange protrusion of earth and nothing worthy of note. Not even the Dark Lord will concern himself with us now and if he does manage to remember, which is unlikely, the pillar is impenetrable. It is guarded by a spell so obscure that no one knows its weakness or if it even has one, not to mention the Tenebris will likely have destroyed anyone who even attempts to attack the pillar."

"Why did you describe them the way you did?" Hermione asked as she settled down on the edge of the bed and returned her clothing to normal. "It was creepy."

"No choice," Harry said as he finished his soup and sent the dishes back to the kitchens. He continued as he moved closer to Draco to stare at his newborns. "Anyone who describes the Tenebris describes them exactly like that, whether they want to or not. It is their description. Every word is the truth. They could destroy this entire planet on a mere whim if that was their desire. I was not lying when I said that the safety measure could just as easily destroyed us all as it could protect us and keep us safe."

"Why would such powerful beings agree to safeguard a school that, to them, would be entirely insignificant?" Remus questioned as he sat on the edge of Harry's bed, bouncing the baby boy he had been cradling since it had been born.

"Far be it for me to understand the whys and wherefores of such beings," Harry said with a smile as his baby girl grabbed hold of his finger. "And for now it does not matter. They have chosen to aid us and that is all that matters. Let us celebrate for today is a most auspicious occasion."

The others, though leery about the situation they were all in, easily agreed with Harry's sentiment and they all began fawning over the newborns. They were all still in awe over the fact that there were three babies instead of the expected one. Harry insisted on holding each of his babies, though he could not do so at once since all of them were squirming and mewling adorably. Madam Pomfrey checked each one over and declared each infant hearty and hale. She summoned an elf and had them make up bottles of milk for each baby.

"So what're you going to name them?" Neville asked as he cooed at the baby girl with Harry's emerald eyes. She squealed happily and tried to catch the waggling finger in front of her.

"Well we were only expecting one of these little sneaks," Draco said fondly as he cradled his youngest son, the one with his eyes, in his arms. "So we had only thought of one name."

"Aurick," Harry said looking down at his oldest, the only one with undetermined eyes. They looked a really light blue but they would occasionally shift from light blue to grey to silver, to a blue green. "Aurick Malfoy-Potter,"

"Potter-Malfoy," Draco corrected with a slightly exasperated tone.

"You better not have your daddy's stubbornness," Harry sighed with a roll of his eyes even as he smiled down at Aurick. "At the very least you better not turn it against me. I deal with it enough already." Everyone in the room laughed at that while Draco just huffed and looked indignant, though amusement was obvious in his eyes.

"What about the others?" Hermione asked when she stopped laughing.

"I was thinking Alice for the girl and Aiden for the other boy," Harry said after a few minutes of thought. "Alice means noble and Aiden means little fire."

The others all nodded in agreement before devolving into continued talk over how adorable the babies were until Harry had calmly drifted off into sleep with little Alice in his arms. Once everyone else noticed, they quieted down and started dispersing. Severus conjured three elegant bassinets designed to match the décor of the room with baby blue blankets for the boys and pink for Alice. After imprinting each baby's name on a bassinet, everyone who had a baby came over to place one in the appropriate bassinet.

Remus, who had been baby-less, had gone over to Harry and attempted to lift Alice gently from Harry's arms only to freeze and smile in amusement when Harry's arms tightened around his bundle. Draco grinned at the reaction, as did everyone else, and went over to where Remus was standing and gently nudged him aside. Draco gently stroked Harry's arm while softly whispering in the brunette's ear. Slowly, Harry's arms relaxed and Draco lifted Alice from her father's arms and took her over to her bassinet where he tucked the sleepy baby under her pink blanket.

"How did you do that?" Remus questioned in curiosity and shock.

"Harry may be a bit of a heavy sleeper but part of him is always listening to his surroundings," Draco explained as he remembered exactly how he had discovered that little tidbit of information. It had been in first year. Draco had been reading late at night under a Lumos, something had done for years, and he had thought that everyone was sound asleep, which they had been. Surprisingly, the next day Harry had asked him what he had been reading. "I just told him that it was me and that I was just going to lay Alice in a bassinet."

"Valuable," Severus said in a calm and controlled voice, anyone who bothered to look though saw a stiffness to the man's posture and a decidedly stony mask over his face. While he spoke the truth he also had a good idea of why and where the boy had acquired such a talent. "Come, let us leave him to rest."

–Scene Break–

Voldemort and everyone else who had been attacking Hogwarts stared at the pillar of stone in complete shock. All of them remembered what they had been doing but none of them could comprehend why they were standing in an empty field holding their wands against a completely innocuous pillar of stone for none of them could remember where Hogwarts was located. They remembered Hogwarts, what it looked like, walking its halls and practicing magic in the classrooms but try as they might they could not figure out how to get to the castle.

"Where is it?" Voldemort practically hissed as he rounded on the bound captive he and his Death Eaters had dragged out here with him to this seemingly innocuous pillar of stone in the middle of an empty field that was surrounded by mountains and a town none of them could see as it was on the other side of the pillar. "Where is it?"

"I don't know," Dumbledore wheezed as the two masked Death Eaters that had become his guards held him up right. "Someone must have cast a Fidelius Charm over the castle. It's the only spell I know of that would have wiped the castle's location from our minds." The man had quite obviously been broken given how easily he had proffered the information to a man he despised and considered an enemy. He had dark circles under his aged eyes indicating countless nights of no sleep and his once lustrous and long white hair was now torn shredded and singed. His stint in Azkaban had left him dangerously thin and he looked as if a slight breeze might topple him to the ground.

"There are ways around a Fidelius Charm Albus," Voldemort purred in a combination of anger and pleasure. "As you well know. Come!" He barked to his followers. "We will use a passage in Hogsmeade."

"My lord," a burly Death Eater, Rodolphus Lestrange, said as he stepped forward. "We've attempted the passages in Hogsmeade before, they're all guarded by Hogwarts' wards."

"Impossible," Voldemort snarled dangerously, causing the man before him and other Death Eaters to cringe and shuffle backwards. "Wards cannot extend underground."

"Unless someone warded them separately," Dumbledore offered helpfully, only to have his head forced to the side as Voldemort backhanded him.

"Regardless," the snake faced man hissed in anger. "Bloodwards are not easily raised. _If _they are warded we can easily tear them down."

The others nodded nervously and started around the pillar to where they knew Hogsmeade to be. They never got to the abandoned village however. Halfway around the pillar they all froze in complete and utter shock. Standing in a huddled mass was every Auror and Unspeakable that the Ministry of Magic had to offer. Even the Minister for Magic was there to oversee the attack and subsequent overtaking of Hogwarts to make sure everything went as planned. It took a few seconds but eventually the Ministry members noticed their audience of Death Eaters, at which Voldemort stood in the front, plainly for all to see.

The two opposing sides stared at each other in utter shock for several minutes, astounded by the sheer luck that each other had for them to run in to the other party. Voldemort was the quickest to recover from his shock and he started to raise his wand to let fly a devastating curse. He paused with the spell halfway out of his mouth when a shadow fell over the entire field. It was no ordinary shadow either. Aside from the fact that it moved, the shadow seemed to swallow all of the light from the setting sun. The Ministry officials, who had been about to prepare for a fight, noticed it as well and as one, Death Eater and Aurors alike looked to the sky.

Coming down from the top of the stone pillar next to them, were four massive creatures. For a single heart stopping moment, everyone thought that the creatures were dragons for surely they had the body type of dragons. Then, as the creatures drew nearer, everyone realized that these were no dragons; at least none they had ever seen before. Each creature was emitting a thick black fog that was spread thinner and thinner with each flap of their wings. For a moment each creature glided in lazy circles around each other, seeming to simply enjoy being in the air, but that quickly changed as they let out a terrifying roar and dived towards the ground, their black claws gleaming menacingly in the fading light.

The Death Eaters, Aurors, Unspeakables, and Voldemort all promptly wet their pants at the sight bearing down on them. They wanted to run, to flee for their lives in sight of such terrifying creatures, but they could not move, could barely breathe. So complete was their paralyzing fear that several of them fainted while others dropped dead of heart attacks. Finally, when the terrifying creatures were over half way down the pillar, the witches and wizards gathered finally regained control over their bodies and immediately Apparated away. Voldemort lingered briefly, contemplating fighting off the creatures, but decided against it and left, even he was not insane enough to combat four unknown powerful dragon-like creatures on his own.

–Scene Break–

The last of March and the months of April and May all passed calmly after Harry gave birth to Aurick, Alice, and Aiden. Harry had remained in his tower for a few weeks after the birth before finally coming out to socialize with the rest of the student body once more. The morning after the birth and attack on the castle Minerva addressed the students and informed them of what had happened and assured them all that they were still quite safe. She had also impressed upon them the importance of not straying too far outside the castle walls. This was done to prevent the students from falling off the tower, though Harry had assured her several times that there were over a hundred spells in place to make sure that would not happen.

Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly depending on your point of view, the Minister had given a press release two days after his attack on Hogwarts stating that Voldemort, or you-know-who as he had put it, had been seen operating at full power once more by his entire Auror office. He neglected to say that he had seen the maniac as well since that would likely have risen questions about just where and how Voldemort had been seen. The Minister had also sent Harry a letter of apology about his attempts to debunk Harry's credibility along with his attack on the school in an attempt to take the castle. He also included a plea of any assistance Harry might be able to provide in the war against the Dark Lord.

Now, in the middle of June, it was the end of the school year and Harry was down in the Great hall with everyone else along with his babies. He had not actually attended any classes since giving birth, though that is not what the teachers reported. Since he had been at the top of his class in all of the classes he had been taking all the teachers, who had known why Harry had left, had merely ushered through the paper work as if Harry had actually been in the class. In reality, Harry had merely been recovering from an eight month long pregnancy and socializing with his friends.

"Attention!" Minerva called to the gathered students, who were all set to head to Hogsmeade station to catch the train home. The students, who had all been watching as Harry and Draco had been entertaining their triplets by casting various amusing spells, turned their attention towards the front of the hall. "This has been a long and difficult year for us all. War threatens our world but if we unite and remain strong then we will prevail. To this end, the Hogwarts Express has been shut down." Everyone in the hall who had not already known about the Express being shut down gasped in shock and amazement. The Express had been taking students to Hogwarts for generation, almost dating back to the founding of the school. To have it shut down was almost as if the school itself had stopped running.

"How're we to get home?" Someone called above the din of clamoring students. Everyone quieted down and stared at Minerva, waiting for an answer.

"To help ensure your safety, the carriages will be taking you directly home," Minerva said, once again eliciting shocked whispers and murmurs from the students. "Your parents have already been contacted and informed of the situation. All muggleborn students will be taken directly home, along with some pure and half bloods. However, because of the large number of students that need to go home, many of you will be going to one home so you may floo home or otherwise be picked up by your parents." The Headmistress paused to let that sink in, though some considered she might have paused because Harry's baby girl gave a particularly loud wail of delight when Draco had conjured a teacup and transfigured it into a small puppy. The puppy had gave a tiny yelp before bounding up to Alice and enthusiastically licked the girl's face.

"Now," Minerva continued after a few minutes of silence. "Some of you and your families have elected to remain under the protection of Hogwarts. Those of you who are staying, please return to your house common rooms or the quarters set up for your families. Now, will the faculty who will be escorting the carriages, please see the students safely home."

Eight of the professors stood up and followed the students that were filing out of the room. Surprisingly, over half of the Slytherin students remained sitting in the hall to either wait out the milling mass of students leaving or waiting to get a chance to speak with the Headmistress. The other houses had fewer and fewer people staying behind with Gryffindor having the fewest people staying. The biggest shocker though was the Weasley twins that were sitting at the Gryffindor table looking uncharacteristically grave as they conversed in hushed tones. Harry eyed them curiously out of the corner of his eye as he continued to entertain his children.

"Harry," Fred said, at least Harry thought it was Fred, when the Hall was mostly empty and they had finally worked up the nerve to come talk to him. "We'd like to talk to you."

"Sure guys, pick up a seat," Harry said making a gesture at the free chairs sitting around the round table that he, Draco, and the babies were sitting at.

"They're adorable Harry," George said with a small smile as he waggled a finger in front of Aurick, who giggled and tried to catch the wayward fingers. "I hadn't realized your guys' relationship had gone this far."

"I hadn't realized anyone knew such a thing was even possible," Harry said in mild surprise when he realized that the twins knew the babies were his and Draco's, despite this being their first public appearance. "We didn't know until it became apparent that I was pregnant."

"It's not common knowledge," George said with a shack of his head as he took something out of his pocket, concealed it between both his hands before releasing it in front of all three babies. A small puff of glittering dust flew in the air before a small cluster of multicolored butterflies fluttered into the air and danced around the babies, who marveled at the beautiful creatures. "But there are a rare few books in the Hogwarts library that hint at the concept."

"Quit stalling brother," Fred said with surprising solemnity. "They're indeed adorable but we did not come to discuss them."

"What _did_ you come to discuss?" Draco inquired with only a mild hint of impatience. He still had an aversion to all things Weasley; however, it was no longer the blinding hatred that fed previous generations, as his father no longer hovered threateningly over his shoulder.

"Us staying here," George said with a slightly annoyed glance at his twin. "We've seen how…"

"Valiantly," Fred supplied when his brother seemed unable to come up with an appropriate word. "You defend this school. We've seen over the past five years, ever since you came here, just how strongly and defiantly you protect this school."

"We also saw from Gryffindor tower the attack that was laid against the school by Voldemort and the Ministry," Harry and Draco both raised their eyebrows in surprise at the ease in which George had said Voldemort's name. "And how you, in the middle of birth if our calculations are right, triggered whatever you did to ensure the safety of everyone in the castle."

"In light of that," Fred said with a slight grin. "And since this was our last year, we want to help, in both the protection of the school and in the war."

Harry quirked an eyebrow at the twins and he eyed them briefly in evaluation and consideration. "Given your proclivity towards jokes, pranks, and tricks I would have figured that you two would have opened a store and challenged Zonko's."

"Well that is our dream," George said wistfully, with a far off and dreamy smile. "And we are still working on that but we figured with war on the rise, our endeavors wouldn't last very long."

"Reasonable," Harry said with an understanding nod.

"Harry," Minerva said before Harry could say anything further as she strode up to his table from the entrance. "Did you set the wards to seal off my office?"

"No," Harry said in complete confusion. The silver in Harry's eyes glowed slightly as he communicated with the wards that guarded the castle, on top of all the new protections. "The wards are busy shifting so that the carriages can take off to take the students home. Your office should be easily accessible to anyone who knows the password."

"Well I gave the password and the gargoyle refused to move," Minerva explained with a slightly sour look on her face. "When I asked him why he wouldn't step aside he merely stared at me, going so far as to snarl when I stepped closer."

"Go," Fred said before Harry could say anything else, which caused the raven haired youth arch an eyebrow in suspicion.

"We'll watch the little ones for you," George added as he conjured a string puppet and started making it dance in front of all three babies, who were all watching in rapt attention. "We Weasley's know how to entertain and take care of babies."

Harry was reluctant to be away from his children, understandably so given that he was a new parent, but he also did not want his kids anywhere near something that could potentially turn dangerous. After a moment of thought, Harry nodded in thanks to the twins before getting up and fallowing Minerva out of the hall with Draco trailing behind. Severus likely would have been with them but he was assisting the other teachers with sending off the students and keeping them safe. When they reached the hall with the gargoyle that guarded the Headmistress' office, Harry paused in confusion.

"Harry?" Draco questioned when he noticed that his partner had fallen behind. "What's wrong?"

"There's nothing interfering with the statue," Harry said with a pensive frown on his face. "The wards aren't set to bar anyone entrance and the password hasn't been changed in a few weeks so the only plausible explanation would be for some external force keeping the gargoyle from opening up. Yet there's nothing."

"Could there be another reason why it wouldn't move?" Minerva questioned as she kept her distance from the fierce looking statue.

"I am free from any interference that would prevent my operation," a different voice, that of the gargoyle, said, drawing everyone's attention.

"Then why won't you step aside?" Harry questioned in confusion.

"I have been given explicit instructions to allow no one save for the owner of Hogwarts to pass," the gargoyle said in its gravely, stone like voice. "And _only_ the owner of Hogwarts until directed otherwise."

"I am the only one who could issue such an order," Harry said, somewhat indignantly as he crossed his arms over his chest. "And I gave no such order."

"Regardless," the gargoyle said stubbornly out matching Harry's stare. "Only you may pass. Per my oath and in accordance with the safety of this school there is no danger to you or this institution."

Harry scowled at the gargoyle before him but the statue had centuries to perfect its gaze and refused to relent. Besides, what it had said was true. The gargoyle could not do anything that would bring harm or would lead to harm against anyone or anything in the castle due to oaths it swore when the magic the founders worked brought it to life. Harry huffed in annoyance and drew his wand. Draco tried to stop him but Harry calmly explained his reasoning to the blond that he loved so much. He obviously was not pleased in the slightest but Draco relented in the end. Harry, if anyone, knew how to defend himself if there was indeed a threat up there.

Harry gave the blond a kiss before turning and stepping behind the gargoyle, who had stepped forward slightly. He made his way up the surprisingly still staircase until he came to the top of the Headmistress' tower. A slight chill ran up and down Harry's spine when he saw that the door leading to the office was slightly ajar and could hear ragged breathing coming from inside the office. Keeping his wand pointed steady in front of him, Harry pushed the door open further and entered the Headmistress' office.

"Bout… time." Someone wheezed with a wet hacking cough. Harry looked towards the back of the office where the Headmistress' desk was and saw someone, a man who looked to be in his early twenties, leaning against the desk, bleeding profusely from several very serious looking wounds on both his face and torso.

"Who are you?" Harry questioned as he cautiously moved towards the center of the room, keeping his wand trained on the injured man before him.

"I'm… hurt," the man said in an obvious attempt at humor, though both his physical condition and the wheezing in his voice ruined the effect he had been after. "You'd think… you'd… recognize… your own… son." At that the man turned his head to face Harry directly. Harry froze when he finally got a good look at the man's face. Wild and untamable hair framed an attractive face that held mixed features of his own and Draco's, most prominently the silvery grey orbs that stared into Harry's eyes.

"Aiden?" Harry gasped as his wand dropped to his side and then slipped from his limp fingers.

"Hi dad," Aiden wheezed with a faint smile. Seconds later his legs gave out and he fell to his knees. Harry, not hesitating in the slightest, rushed to his son's side and took him in his arms to keep him from falling to the ground completely.

"We need to get you to Madam Pomfrey," Harry said, not sparing any thought as to how his son, in his late twenties no less, had appeared in the Headmistress' office. He had caught sight of a very familiar looking chain around his bloody neck, on which hung a time turner. His only thought was to save his son.

"No," Aiden denied with a slight shake of his head as he clasped Harry's hands with one of his own while his other hand dug around for something in one of his robe pockets. "These wounds are beyond her skills and knowledge. A curse invented beyond her time."

"I can't just let you die!" Harry cried indignantly.

"That's why… you need to listen," Aiden said as he forced his eyes open to lock onto Harry's. "You failed… in the war." Aiden paused to wheeze and cough up more blood but managed to continue before Harry could make a comment. "Voldemort killed you because you spent more time defending this school than you did trying to end his reign of terror."

"If I don't –" Harry started to say but Aiden cut him off.

"The school is protected dad!" Aiden declared vehemently as he glared up at his father. "It has been… since the moment you raised the castle to the skies. You may have a family to raise but if you don't end this war the way it should be… then everything will be lost. You, dad, Aurick, Alice, the staff, every pureblood, halfblood, and muggleborn that attends this school will be dead. The ministry will fall and then Darkness reigns." Aiden paused to glare into his father's eyes with a stubbornness becoming of any Potter or Malfoy. "You have to fight." He paused as he shoved a thick and bloody book into Harry's hands. "This is a detailed… record of the spells used to create the devices… that protect the castle from the creator himself. It also says how to reverse it but it can't be done until every threat to the castle is gone. Every last one, not just the obvious ones. _Every _threat."

"Aiden," Harry said sadly, holding desperately to his quickly fading son. "There has to be something. Tell us the spell used to do this. We can keep you alive until we can counter it and heal you."

"I've always… admired that about you dad," Aiden wheezed as he smiled weakly up at Harry. "You never give up. You fight until the last. Never lose that dad and turn it on the war. Make… him pay for what he's done."

"Aiden?" Harry called softly when he felt his son go limp in his arms.

Harry tried calling the name again, adding in a little shake to try to bring his son back to him. It did not work. Aiden's body, which so closely resembled Harry's, lay limp in his arms. Tears that had been building in his eyes since he first realized that his own son stood before him with such injuries finally fell down his cheeks as water falls off a cliff. The castle moaned and quaked as Harry quickly spiraled into grief and the emotion spilled over into his connection with the castle.

Slowly, deliberately, and carefully, as if he were handling fragile glass, Harry lowered Aiden all the way down to the floor and gently arranged him as if he was resting peacefully inside a coffin. He closed Aiden's eyes, folded his hands over his chest, and stretched his legs from the uncomfortable and oddly angled position. He then whispered a spell that would activate the time-turner and send it back to where it originated. In a spark of silver light Aiden had vanished leaving Harry alone with a pool of blood. Despite his attempt to hold back his grief, the castle still quaked around him as Harry hesitated briefly, before he made his way to his feet and stumbled from the room and down the still immobile staircase.

"Harry?" Draco called, concern thick in his voice when he saw Harry come down the stairs covered in blood and shaking to boot.

Harry did not respond. He walked past the blond Slytherin that he loved so much, easily slipping away from the hand that had reached out to grasp him. His only thought was to reach the procession of soldiers that was just making it around the corner. Between the two lines of soldiers floated a large swaddling pillow of purple light, on which, sat a giggling baby Aiden, who delighted in poking his fingers through the light. The Weasley twins walked at the back of the procession carrying Alice and Aurick.

Blind to almost all else, Harry quickened his pace until he was almost running. When he was close enough, Harry grabbed Aiden through the pillow made of wards and nearly crushed the baby to his chest. It was then that he broke. A scream was torn from his throat as he fell to his knees and started rocking back and forth. Pain ripped at his chest; unique pain. It was the kind of pain that only a parent could know, the pain of the loss of a child. Surprisingly, instead of wailing in discomfort at such an uncomfortable and unexpected occurrence, Aiden simply wrapped his tiny baby arms around Harry's neck and held on, offering a silent comfort.

"Harry," the softly spoken words and the strong arms wrapped around his shoulders managed to penetrate the haze of all encompassing grief that had consumed Harry's mind. Slowly, Harry managed to pull his mind back towards the present and his surroundings and lifted his head from where it had been buried in little baby Aiden's shoulder. His red, tearstained eyes slowly moved towards the source of the voice that had spoken his name. "What happened?" Draco almost immediately regretted the question as Harry's face contorted in pain and fresh tears fell down his face. "Come on," he continued in a soothing voice. "Let's go to your tower."

Draco helped Harry to his feet but Harry paused after only a few steps. "Headmistress, if you would gather Sirius and Severus and meet me in my tower please? Fred, would you find Neville and Hermione and bring them to the tower as well? Nif!"

"Yes Master Harry?" Nif said the second he popped up in front of Harry. There were tears lining the elf's eyes and he was wringing his hands, as if he had seen everything that had happened in the Headmistress' office.

"Please do what you can to clean up the blood in the Headmistress' office and then have tea and biscuits brought to my tower." Harry said, faltering slightly as he mentioned the blood.

The elf did not say anything. Nif merely nodded sadly and popped away, leaving a single teardrop that had fallen from his eyes. With that taken care of, Harry turned and marched off towards his tower, clutching Aiden close to his chest, clinging to the thoughts that his son was technically still alive, that he would destroy the gods before he allowed what he had seen in that office come to pass. It was then that Harry realized that the little baby was not complaining in the slightest to being so tightly held and was even holding him back with surprising strength. It was as if Aiden knew what had happened and was trying to comfort his dad.

"Harry, why don't you give me Aiden and…" Draco's voice trailed off as Harry growled and his eyes flashed dangerously between panic, grief, fury, and stubborn denial. His arms tightened around the baby even as Draco's out stretched arms fell back to his sides. "You're covered in blood Harry." The blond tried to reason. "You need to clean up. I doubt Aiden enjoys getting covered in it as well."

"What I need," Harry snarled dangerously as he paced back and forth in front of the massive fireplace, looking every bit a caged panther despite his human form. "Is to rip Voldemort's throat out and watch him suffer for what he's done."

"A very violent notion, yet not entirely unwarranted," Severus' smooth, drawling, and snarky voice sounded as the Potions Master stepped through the main doors to Harry's tower. "Might I inquire as to what the Dark Lord has done now to extract such violent notions from your mind?"

"No you may not," Harry bit out as anger started to replace grief. He waved his hand briefly and wandlessly and wordlessly vanished the blood coving both him and Aiden. "Suffice it to say we had a visitor a few minutes ago that explained a great many things to me."

"And who was this visitor?" Severus inquired, raising an eyebrow at Harry's casual use of advanced magic. His eyebrow raised further when pain flashed through Harry's angered eyes and he tightened his arms around Aiden once more.

"Someone whose words I will not doubt and who's name cannot be known." Harry said in a soft, almost whispering voice, though everyone heard him just fine. "There are dangers to using the magic he used to give me this information. The more people who know, the more dangerous things become." Harry could see Severus' mind working and saw it when the other man pieced a small part of the puzzle together and managed to speak before him. "Figure it out if you will but I trust you to know the dangers and to keep silent on the matter."

Severus snapped his mouth shut on the comment he was about to make. Harry was right. Time Turners were dangerous, especially if one actively interfered with the past. Severus gave a slight nod of his acquiescence before saying, "Then what needs to be done?"

"Several things actually," Harry said as he resumed his pacing, albeit at a slower pace, and he finally loosened his grip on Aiden, though he did not relinquish his son to anyone else. He paused briefly as Sirius came into the tower, followed by Hermione, Neville, Fred, and Minerva. "The first of which is a discussion about changing how we contact muggleborn students, how we inform them and their parents about magic, and protecting them from this war, which is about to get a hell of a lot more active and dangerous."

"What is wrong with how we contact the muggleborn students?" Minerva questioned in confusion as she stepped around the several bodies in the room to stand between the furniture and the doors leading to the balcony garden. "Though I agree we need to protect them as they will likely be You-Know-Who's first targets aside from yourself."

"It's slow, late, and, to be frank, stupid." Harry said as he stopped his pacing once again when Aiden finally started to whine, likely getting dizzy or sick from the strange and unfamiliar motion. "We give the students and parents both, less than two months to adjust to an entirely new world. We just throw them into our world and expect them to adjust or even conform to our way of life. It's absurd!"

"There really isn't anything to be done about that Harry," Minerva said calmly. She understood Harry's point of view, even agreed with it, but she knew there was nothing to be done. "The spell used to detect magic in muggleborns operates by detecting magical strength. We can't locate muggleborns until they turn ten or eleven, when they're magically strong enough."

"Such a stupid spell," Harry groused with an annoyed look. "And an even bigger idiot who invented it."

"If we did not have that spell Harry, there would likely be no muggleborns attending Hogwarts," Severus said as he evaluated Harry's reaction towards their only means available of detecting muggleborn witches and wizards.

"_You also know who invented that spell and why,_" Orpheus hissed as he his way out of Harry's collar. Aiden squealed happily at the sight of the snake, his first time seeing Orpheus, and immediately started trying to play with the snake. Orpheus hissed a chuckle and flicked his tongue on Aiden's nose, eliciting another happy squeal from the baby.

"Yes I know why the spell was invented," Harry said as he smiled along with everyone else in the room at the interaction between boy and snake. "But it's still stupid when we have far more advanced methods."

"_And if Dumbledore had been given access?_" Orpheus questioned as he wound part way around Aiden's shoulders, allowing the baby to pet and marvel at his dark green scales.

Harry shuddered. "Fair enough," he went over to the stretch of wall between the fireplace and the balcony doors. He touched something behind the fireplace, though no one could see what. "But times have changed." There came a loud snap that startled everyone in the room except for Harry and the babies. In the middle of the room, between the couch and the main doorway, a large circle, about five feet in diameter, opened in the floor. "What I am about to show you will not pass our lips again, understood?"

When he looked around and saw nods from everyone in the room, Harry moved forward and led the way down the large staircase. The stairs seemed to go on forever, which was understandable since they went deep beneath the surface of the earth, well below the dungeons and even below the emergencies tunnels that honeycombed the earth below the castle. After what seemed to be an hour of walking, the party finally reached the end of the stairwell and a long hallway stood before them. At the end of the hall was a large set of double oak doors etched in silver with the Hogwarts crest.

"During the Founders' time things worked very differently from how they do today," Harry said as he marched down the hall towards the imposing doors. "Much like what I wish to do, they sent a representative to the muggleborn's place of residence before the child was even a year old and explained the situation to the parents. Naturally, given the era there were times when the Founders had been forced to extract a child for their own protection but I don't think we'll have as much trouble with that as they did."

"That's not possible," Minerva interjected somewhat crossly. She steadfastly refused to comment on the subject of possible child abuse in regards to her students. "Magic grows along with the person, sometimes faster, sometimes slower, but there's no way that the spell we use could detect a magic capable witch or wizard before they were even a year old."

"The Founders never used that spell," Harry said calmly as the great oak doors groaned as they opened of their own accord. "That spell was invented a full three centuries after their death. No. They used these."

Beyond the great doors was a dimly lit hall that was about the same size as the living room in Harry's tower. The walls were bare aside from the few torches that provided scant light. The floor held nothing but the stone that the entire castle had been built with. On the far side of the room, opposite the entrance Harry and company had come through, was another set of doors identical to the first. The only things in the room that held everyone's attention were four faintly glowing books that were as thick as Harry's bicep and as long as his torso. There was no inscription on either book and while they looked extremely old, the leather that bound them was pristine.

"All four Founders charmed each book," Harry said as he started to go down the line, touching each book as he went. "Muggleborn, half-blood, Pureblood, and Squib," Each time he touched one of the books they flared briefly, their titles showing in gold, glowing letters for as long as Harry's hand touched the leather. "Each one records, from birth, any witch or wizard, their parents, and their location, updating over time in case they move before they receive their Hogwarts letter. All four are connected. Over time, the Pureblood and half-blood books became irrelevant as the wizarding families become more knowledgeable about the school and put down their children the moment their magic started manifesting. The Squib book records anyone magical but their levels are too low to manifest into full witches or wizards."

"How do they detect the kids though?" Hermione, ever the academic, asked as she stepped forward to look at the books. "Professor McGonagall said anyone younger than ten or eleven was too magically weak to be detected."

"Even I don't know how the magic they worked detects the kids," Harry said with a slight shrug as he stepped up to the muggleborn book, the one Hermione was standing in front of, and flipped it open towards the middle of the book. He slid his hand down the page and tapped a name, attracting Hermione's attention. Her eyebrows rose when she saw her name printed neatly in black ink. He then flipped it to the very front of the book where the new names were added. The newest muggleborn had been born only two weeks ago. "But the point is they do. With these we can find the muggleborns in plenty of time to get them and their parents used to the magical world and to protect them from the war."

"Why make three?" Neville questioned as he started poking around the Pureblood book alongside Draco. "Why not just one book that registered them all?"

"That was Rowena's doing I believe." Harry said as he gently nudged Hermione aside and started flipping through the muggleborn book with a little more intent than just to prove his point. "She figured it would be easier to locate the students if they were separated and cataloged by lineage, especially with the squibs. They didn't want to accidentally contact a squib and give them the hope of being able to use magic only to later find out that they would never be able to truly use the craft."

Before anyone else could comment on that, Harry pressed his finger to the name of a muggleborn that was set to turn eleven in two weeks time. The book flared with power and the bare wall in front of them suddenly lit up. It showed a house in a suburban area just outside of London. Seeing no activity outside the house, the magic of the book shifted to show the interior, namely the kitchen where the occupants were just sitting down to lunch. The family looked very comfortable and happy and the son bore a striking resemblance to his father but had his mother's curly hair.

"This… is amazing." Minerva whispered in shock as the image faded when Harry lifted his finger off the book. "If we had this decades ago so many things would be different, so many tragedies could have been avoided."

"Agreed," Harry said with a nod as he shifted Aiden in his arms. "With these we should be able to alleviate some of the tension and common misconception between purebloods and muggleborns. By educating the muggleborns and involving them more thoroughly into the wizarding world from a younger age then they shouldn't be so quick to think us out of date and maybe the purebloods would be less inclined to be so violently against the muggleborns."

"Such a movement would take a good deal of time," Sirius said as he fingered one of the books in amazement. "But I think your plan would be the best first step. I know that a lot of the dislike towards muggleborns comes from how they view our ways and are constantly calling us backwards and out of date."

"I've never called anyone backwards or out of date," Hermione said, highly offended at what Sirius had said. However, she continued in a slightly mulish and angry tone. "I've heard other muggleborns saying such things though and none of them liked it when I started poking holes in the supposed logic they used to support such views. Did you know not one muggleborn that goes to our school aside from myself knows the importance blood plays in certain kinds of magic?"

"Which is part of the problem," Harry said as he walked over to Draco. Anyone who bothered to look would notice the slight tremor that racked the teenagers frame and the occasional hitch to his breathing. "And something we need to fix."

Draco looked questioningly at the other father of his children. His confusion grew when Harry stared him deep in the eyes and placed his right hand on the side of Draco's face. The blond gasped in shock as a wave of memories flooded his mind. With the memories came same well of pain and grief that had opened up inside Harry and it was then that he fully understood the pain his partner had been in and the strength it had taken him to continue functioning.

"Don't you let him go," Harry whispered, pain thick in his voice as he painstakingly handed Aiden over to his other father. Draco just shook his head and buried his face in his son's neck. "I have to go take care of something." He continued in a louder voice, addressing the other people in the room. "Headmistress I trust that you will be able to hammer out the details of our new way of contacting the muggleborns, possibly with Hermione's and Sirius' assistance. Fred, George, I trust that you will be able to help Draco look after the babies for a little while." When he had received confused but affirming nods from everyone in the room, Harry continued speaking. "Severus, Neville, if you would come with me please." Everyone, save for Draco who was coming to terms with what he had learned, watched as Harry left the hall with Severus and Neville trailing behind him.

"What did you do to Draco?" Neville asked innocently as the trio made their way out of long stairwell in the middle of the floor in Harry's tower and then down the hall towards the staircase that led to the other, more easily accessible levels of the tower. "Why did he look so shaken after you touched him?"

"I showed him what happened in the Headmistress' office," Harry said solemnly as he continued to climb higher and higher.

"If what I suspect is true, that was very dangerous of you," Severus said in a carefully neutral voice. He may not know exactly what happened in the office but he could tell that the subject was extremely sensitive to Harry and apparently Draco now.

"He had a right to know." Harry said flatly as he came to a stop at the only door at the very top of his tower. He turned to face the other two. "What I am about to do would be considered dangerous by some people. However, I believe it to be necessary. No matter what happens I need you two not to interfere," here he looked pointedly at Severus. "If you do it could prove disastrous. I need you two in there with me to act as anchors so I don't lose myself completely."

"What're you going to do?" Neville questioned nervously.

"You'll see," Harry said as he turned and opened the door. Harry felt his guardians fingers brush his shoulder as Severus reached out to grab him to get a proper explanation but Harry had moved to quickly and he was soon beyond the man's reach as he stepped into the room.

"What is all this stuff?" Neville questioned in curiosity as he examined one of the many objects in the room. All throughout the large round chamber were hundreds of things that could only be described as _weird. _There were some that were easily identifiable, such as the crystals, incents, and candles, but there were others, like a strange four sided glass object, that no one had ever seen and therefore had no name. In the center of it all was a large pentagram that took up two thirds of the room all by itself.

"Some of this is Divination equipment," Harry explained as he went about the room gathering specific things. He took several crystals from their places on the shelves on the wall and started placing them at key points around the room along with the candles. "Some of it… isn't. A lot of it has been forgotten by man." Harry came up, took an annoyed Severus and a compliant Neville, and placed them just outside the tips of the bottom points of the pentagram, Severus at the right and Neville on the left. "Don't move." He said absently as he wandered off to gather incents and bowls.

"Harry," Severus said, his voice going slightly cold and demanding. "What are you doing?"

"Getting answers." Harry said plainly and without further explanation.

Severus sucked in his breath when he saw Harry placing the glass box with the destroyed diary in it into the topmost point of the pentagram. Having an inkling of what Harry might try and do Severus was on the verge of speaking out against it and moving forward to stop the boy but he suddenly found himself incapable of moving. A magical presence had appeared in the room, stronger than anything the former Death Eater had ever felt before. It was beyond strong, almost stronger than what Severus felt hanging around the Tenebris the one time he had been close to the frightening creatures and it kept Severus rooted in place.

Fire sprang into existence, lining the edges of the pentagram and lighting the candles as Harry moved to stand directly in the center of the pentagram, where he had placed several different incents in silver bowls and various strange liquids. All light that was not provided by the fire and candles seemed to vanish entirely. With a wave of his hand, Harry lit the incents and a strong aroma immediately filled the room. It was then that Severus realized that Harry was on the cusp of magical maturity. He had felt Harry's power before, how could he not, but he was radiating such strength as he would on nights of the full moon when his strength, both magical and physical, reached heights that no other wizard could even imagine. Seeing as it was nowhere near the full moon and daytime to boot, Severus was stunned to find that his adopted son's magic was almost surpassing the strength he received under the full moon.

Severus was wrenched out of his thoughts when he heard Harry chanting in a low and deep voice. He looked up to see Harry sitting cross-legged in the middle of the pentagram, swaying back and forth. One of the strange liquids Harry had brought into the circle with him was gone, likely drank by the dark haired teen. Suddenly, Harry's robes and shirt had vanished, leaving his torso bare. Somewhere along the lines, Orpheus had slithered off and Kane had gone as well, leaving Harry's skin unblemished.

Even more shocking though was the complete lack of any scars. Severus had gotten used to seeing the many scars that littered Harry's chest and back whenever the boy, no, _man_, had not been wearing a shirt. Madam Pomfrey had managed to heal some of the scars but as they were old long before she got to them, there had not been much she could do. Now, however, they were all gone leaving Harry's skin smooth, taught, and entirely flawless.

A drumbeat suddenly sounded and Harry's arms shot out towards the two empty points of the pentagrams. The fire flared and started animating. In a rush, chains of flame snapped around Harry's wrists and pulled taught. Severus and Neville heard Harry gasp as his head fell backwards. His eyes were closed and he looked to be in a deep trance. Never did Harry's chanting or swaying stop and Severus was doubtful he could have stopped if he wanted.

Another drumbeat and an involuntary twitch from Harry and the other man's wrists were slashed open. Severus, as he had when Harry activated the current protections around the castle, tried to rush forward to keep Harry from bleeding out but he could not move. The magic that had gripped him held him firmly in place. A glance to the side showed that Neville looked stricken and like he wanted to rush forward as well but could not, be it out of shock or magic Severus did not know.

Blood began to pool around Harry and Severus seriously started to fear that the boy would bleed to death, as unlike last time he did not have crates full of blood replenishing potions to draw on. Suddenly a backlash of magic suddenly flared through the room and a figure leaped out of the flames on the edges of the pentagram. Severus stared in shock as the flaming panther, which was easily three times the size of Kane, let out a rumbling roar that shook the very foundations of the castle. The blood started to flow back into Harry's body and the gashes on his wrists soon sealed shut.

A third drumbeat had another of the liquids Harry placed in the pentagram vanished and the chains of fire started to rise, pulling Harry with them. Soon, Harry was hanging freely by the chains a good three feet above the floor. Harry twitched, though never faltering in his chant, and his magic became a visible force. It rolled over the room, caressing the flaming panther as if it were an old friend, and licking at Severus and Neville, recognizing them and classifying them as irrelevant.

When it encountered the remnants of the Horcrux, the magic went wild. It detested such a vile and twisted form of magic and it roared in protest, going so far as to carve a line in the stone of the tower. The panther purred soothingly as it swatted at the magic, as if it were trying to pat it comfortingly, and Harry's chant increased in tempo and become slightly more frenzied. The magic, disgusted at thought of touching such a horrid thing, balked and resisted the urgings of Harry and the panther. The panther seemed to growl in a reprimanding way and the magic started to sulk and pout. If this were not such a dangerous and unusual situation, Severus might have been tempted to snicker in amusement but as it was, he merely stared on in fascinated horror.

The magic finally bowed to the wishes of its host and fully connected with the Horcrux, although it did so slowly and very reluctantly. The glass container turned to sand and blew away in a wind by the magic as it drew nearer and nearer. Harry's magic seemed to sigh in disgust and resignation before it bit the bullet and jumped on the remains of the Horcrux. The fire flared and grew to such heights that all sight of what was happening inside the pentagram was blocked. Not that it mattered much.

The minute Harry's magic touched the diary a shockwave pulsed through the room, sending Severus and Neville flying backwards. Seconds after that there was a great pulling sensation as the magic gathered and condensed itself above the destroyed diary. The fire vanished and the room was plunged into complete darkness. The seconds ticked by and Severus was soon able to bring himself into a sitting position… just in time to get a face full of pure light. It flared into existence with a fury with Harry as its epicenter. It spread and pushed its way through the cracks in the stone, turning the top of Harry's tower into a beacon and illuminating the already bright sky.

As quickly as it had appeared the light vanished, leaving an after image in Severus and Neville's eyes and a few candles lit so there was light to see by. Eventually their eyes adjusted and Neville and Severus could see Harry lying in the center of the pentagram panting, staring up at the ceiling as if it held all the answers in the world. The magic in the room was shuddering but it was also retreating back into Harry's body, where it belonged.

"Harry?" Severus questioned as he got to his feet. He rushed over to Harry's side only to be stopped by a solid wall of magic mere inches from Harry's panting form. "Harry can you hear me?"

"Yes," Harry said in a hoarse and dry voice as his body shuddered with after effects of the magic he had performed. "Just give me a second."

"What did you do?" Neville asked as he came to stand on the other side of Harry, stopped just as Severus had been by a wall of magic.

"I sought information," Harry explained after a few minutes of silence and trying to get his muscles and magic back under control. "I got a bit more than I bargained for but I have what I wanted."

"And that would be?" Severus inquired in a dangerous voice as he helped Harry to his feet, the magical barrier having since dropped when Harry regained control over his magic.

"A means to end this infernal war once and for all," Harry said enigmatically as he straightened and stretched his muscles. The feral and primal look in Harry's eyes and the calm, deadly tone to his voice said all that need to be said. Harry was on a warpath.


	26. Chapter 26: The Reason

**Disclaimer: **Other than my OC's I own nothing

**A/N: **Alright! I am sorry that this took so very long to get this update out there. Between writers block and being insanely busy I have not felt the desire to write much until recently. Sadly this is going to be the conclusion to the story The Heir. Don't be too mad at me though because I plan on a sequel eventually. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Please review and let me know what you guys think!

**Slash warning!**

* * *

><p>CHAPTER 26: THE REASON HE IS FEARED AND REVERED<p>

During the first war with Voldemort, people had known only fear. The monstrosity that had come to plague their lives truly appeared as if he could not be stopped. Even Albus Dumbledore, who had defeated the Dark Lord Grindelwald and had stood before Voldemort several times, had not been able to bring the lunatic to a halt. The days had grown darker and darker until all hope had seemed lost. Then, on one of the darkest nights of the war, when few people had any reason to hold hope, the world had not only been given hope but freedom as well.

That fateful Halloween night when Harry Potter had brought the Dark Lord's terrifying reign to a grinding and sudden halt, the world had been given its savior and a potentially magnificent wizard that would do and bring great things to the Wizarding World. The world had been given peace and they rejoiced. It did not last. Almost sixteen years after the Boy-Who-Lived stopped the Dark Lord, Voldemort had been brought back to life to begin his reign a second time. When this happened, the Wizarding World looked to its savior, its hero, to save them once again from the monster. What happened is not something they had desired. For on this day, the day they had come to call The Day of Debts, the people had received a new reason to feel fear, a new meaning to place behind the word terror.

–Scene Break–

Harry Potter strode confidently down the little dirt road that led to Little Hangleton, the very place where Lucius Malfoy had attempted to use Harry in a ritual to bring back Lord Voldemort and had failed. However, he never went into the village proper. He made a beeline for a rundown and decrepit hovel that looked to be rotting, Severus Snape struggling to keep up with the powerful strides of the sixteen-year-old teenager. It had been two months since Harry had set on his warpath but his fury and determination had not lessened one bit.

In that time though Harry had not planned a single offensive strike against Voldemort. He had been beyond patient, biding his time and planning things just right. It had taken him three and a half weeks alone to plan a flawless incursion into Gringotts to obtain Helga's cup. Now, on this day, he was moving. The last Horcrux was destroyed and the wheels were starting to spin faster and faster, with Harry urging them along and going for the ride.

"You should be more careful," Severus counseled in a slightly miffed voice when Harry took out his wand and blasted the decaying door to pieces. He was quite obviously disgruntled at having to struggle to keep up with someone younger than he was when Harry was not even running.

"There is no need," Harry said as he walked past the door and into the main room and over to a specific spot in front of a filthy fireplace. "Riddle never thought someone would find this place or connect it with him so he did not bother to erect any proper wards."

Barely missing a beat, Harry swung his hand in a sweeping arch, summoning a shadow blade. The deadly blade sliced through the rotting wooden floor as if it were no more than soft butter. A high pitched but fairly low scream sounded briefly before it vanished. Harry banished the sword and started rooting around the wreckage with the tip of his wand. After a minute he straightened up again with something floating before the tip of his wand.

"What is that?" Severus questioned, not recognizing the small gem that floated there.

"The resurrection stone," Harry said with a slight grimace. He snapped the stone from the air and gripped Severus' arm, Apparating them back to Hogwarts. "The stone was supposedly created by death to bring the dead back to life. Not a mockery of death like the Inferi but really and truly bring the souls of the dead back into the mortal world."

"Such magic is impossible," Severus said, scoffing slightly at the idea. "Hundreds of witches and wizards have attempted to bring the dead back to life. None have succeeded."

"I agree," Harry said as he stuffed the stone into his pocket with a shrug. "However, that is what the stone is supposed to be according to Beetle the Bard. But that's irrelevant at the moment. Right now, we must focus on getting ready to go to the next muggleborn's house in Maidstone. The Headmistress said we would arrive at eight thirty sharp."

"Harry you shouldn't–" Severus started but was cut off.

"I want to go," Harry said calmly, with only a slight connotation to his voice that Severus could not identify. "I want to be more involved in the school's function. I will be perfectly well protected, especially since you will be there while McGonagall is with the other family."

"Harry," Severus said, getting the first inkling that his son was not telling him everything. He hesitated briefly before he said, "Very well."

Harry knew Severus suspected something but he did not dare to say anything. Too much depended on his plan to risk any vital information getting in the wrong ears. He trusted Severus implicitly, but he could not trust that something might happen to lead to someone he did not trust getting the wrong information. He was grateful though, that Severus let the matter go. He would explain everything mere moments before but not any sooner.

The whole point of holding that conversation in non-hushed tones as they walked into the Great Hall where everyone who was staying at the castle was eating dinner was to let it leak out that Harry, the Dark Lord's biggest target, would be off Hogwarts' grounds and away from the strongest protections available. The bait was simply too tantalizing and Harry was positive that Voldemort would not pass up such an opportunity. It was also the reason why Harry had sent a letter to the Ministry, requesting the presence of a few Aurors as he would be leaving Hogwarts to tend to muggleborns. He had also sent a letter to a specific person within the Ministry to give her time to prepare, discretely of course.

Harry sat down at the Head Table with Severus and next to Draco and his children and began to eat dinner, he was not about to go into this on an empty stomach. Dinner passed uneventfully, as expected. As it drew to a close, Narcissa came up to the Head Table and escorted her grandchildren out of the hall and up to her suit, where she would watch over them while Harry, Draco, and everyone else was out of the castle. She had been delighted to find out that she was a grandmother and had taken every opportunity she could to visit with the babies, which had been quite a lot recently.

At precisely eight thirty, Harry boarded one of the carriages with Severus. Draco was on board as well but he was hidden thoroughly with both a disillusionment charm and Harry's invisibility cloak. It was imperative that people think that Harry was alone with only Severus for protection. If Voldemort had even the slightest suspicion that something was off then Harry's whole plan could collapse. Of course, they ran that risk anyway with them leaking the information of where Harry would be but the more they could minimize that risk the better.

With magic aiding the Thestral's flight, the carriage reached Maidstone in just over half an hour, putting their arrival at their destination just past nine fifteen at night. The full moon was rising into the sky as Harry stepped out of the carriage behind Severus, who was now fully aware of the situation and on high alert, though you would not know it just by looking. The man had descended into the level of cold perfection he had live in during his time as spy. Severus could act so marvelously that no one, not even the Dark Lord could spot the truth and now, the Potions Master looked exactly as he should, a professor come to inform a muggleborn about magic.

Severus knocked on the door to the simple looking muggle house that was technically abandoned. In reality, the entire middle class neighborhood was abandoned. Harry had spent a week and a half going from house to house, Polyjuiced to look like a business man from a reputable law office in London, convincing all the muggle families, none of whom had muggleborn children, to accept an offer for a free cruise. It had been arduous, difficult, and annoying work that had required a few subtle spells to nudge the people into agreeing but Harry did not let it get to him and he refused to complain. It was better than having them caught in the middle of a war.

Everyone in the neighborhood, including the plain looking woman who had answered Severus' knock, was a Polyjuiced witch or wizard playing at being muggles. Some were the staff at Hogwarts, some were Auror's, those trusted above all others by Susan Bones and Auror Scrimgeour, and others still were members of The Order, previously named The Order of the Phoenix. Minerva had taken over The Order in the middle of Harry's fifth year and renamed it since neither she nor any of the members wanted anything to do with Dumbledore anymore. However they did not want to think up a completely new name so they simply changed it to The Order, as their purpose was essentially still the same.

Harry stood in the corner of the simple living room as Severus explained to the muggle woman, who was actually Minerva, about the existence of magic and silently running over the past several weeks in his head. When he had finished getting the muggles to leave their homes Harry had spent the rest of his time before he had tracked down and destroyed the last Horcrux preparing this potential battlefield. He had gone around the edge of the entire neighborhood carving runes that would do two things: it would alert him to anyone with a Dark Mark entering the area and would erect an impenetrable anti Apparation ward upon Harry's command. After he had finished that, Harry had taken his time painstakingly erecting several other wards, including a secondary anti Apparation and at least three anti portkey wards. One of those wards acted like one giant Finite Incantatem that would cancel out any use of the Imperius Curse in the event that Voldemort had Imperiused Death Eaters in his ranks.

Suddenly the runic wards went off in Harry's head but he did not react, he refused to react. He watched, or rather felt, as several more people bearing the Dark Mark entered the neighborhood. Harry was hard pressed not to smile. His plan, at least on some level, was working but he did not react. Harry stood there silently, a simple observer to seemingly innocuous school business. Then he felt it. A powerful magical presence entered the neighborhood, one that Harry had only ever felt once before. Voldemort had arrived. He was the last, Harry could tell, and at the very back of his hoard of minions. This was to be expected. They were basically playing a game of chess. Voldemort was the King and his Death Eaters his pawns. He would allow them to go first in case there was a trap of some sort, using them as fodder, before he made his entirely predictable move.

Harry surreptitiously shifted in place and twitched his arm in such a manner so his wand slipped into his hand but remained hidden by the folds of his robes. Draco, still hidden, saw the movement and the wand. He went over to Severus and Minerva and tapped them twice on the shoulder to inform them that Death Eaters were present. In spite of the situation they were all in, Draco had to be impressed with both of his teachers for even though they certainly felt his hand neither had reacted beyond shifting their feet so they could be standing in an instant.

Just as Draco had drawn his own wand, the door exploded. Harry was the first and fastest to react. He sent a spell flying past the still falling remains of the door and blasted back a Death Eater while simultaneously raising the wards around the neighborhood. At the sound of shattering glass, Harry reacted instinctively and sent at least three spells towards the back door, each one either incapacitating or killing the Death Eaters that had tried to attack from the back.

At that moment, another of Harry's little tricks came into play. Orpheus slithered out Harry's pant leg with surprising speed and went after the Death Eaters, his eyes open and felling several Death Eaters who had been foolish enough to look towards the snake. As Orpheus mad his way outside, biting and glaring, he resumed his true size of a massive, thousand year old snake. Harry had spent a week inventing a spell that would effectively guard against a Basilisk's deadly gaze, testing it on several small animals that the snake had caught for a meal. He had been successful only a few days ago and had proceeded to teach and cast the spell on every witch and wizard that was fighting on their side.

Seconds after Orpheus started tearing into the enemy ranks, Kane appeared and followed him, ripping and tearing Death Eater's apart with his powerful claws and deadly teeth. Harry ignored the presence of his familiars, as did everyone who was not a Death Eater, and began forcing his way through the hoard at the front door. At first, the Death Eaters seemed to have the upper hand, discounting Orpheus and Kane, but none of them were a match for Harry's strength and tenacity. They were slowly forced back and Harry could make his way out the door.

Harry's exit of the house triggered the second half of his trap. The wards that prevented escape lit up like a second sun and the resistance revealed itself. Over two hundred witches and wizards between The Order, the Aurors, Hogwarts' staff, and the Ministries Unspeakables, came out of the nearby houses or dropped the charms that kept them hidden from sight. The Death Eaters started to panic at the sight of such an overwhelming presence of opponents to fight. Their numbers were not exactly skimpy, standing over a hundred and fifty Death Eaters, but not only were they outnumbered they had been caught unprepared.

Between the unexpected resistance, Orpheus, and Kane, the Death Eaters started to panic. Several attempted to flee, the Dark Lord's wrath be damned, but found that they were trapped seconds before they fell to someone's spell, claws, venom, or heart stopping gaze. Nothing compared to Harry though. A rare few would say he looked like he was conducting a symphony but to everyone else he was more devastating and a thousand times more horrifying than Orpheus' sweeping gaze. His hair swayed back and forth, as he dodged spells and fired his own. His eyes shone with a deadly emerald fire that made the Killing Curse seem tame.

Harry's wand never once stopped glowing as spell after spell flowed from its tip, unleashing pain, death, and unbridled terror. Harry flicked his wand at a Death Eater and the man's arm, the one that had been holding his wand, transfigured itself into a live cobra that promptly turned and bit the man in the neck before returning to an arm. Harry had moved on before the man had even been bitten. The next Death Eater fell before he realized what was happening as his head separated from his shoulders, slit at the neck by a slicing curse. It was not long before the Death Eaters were actively attempting to avoid getting in Harry's way as no one stood in front of him and lived.

Eventually, Harry had made it through the throng of Death Eaters to the destination he sought. Before him stood Voldemort, ignorant of his presence and sending off curses into the fray in an attempt to defeat the unexpected resistance. Since he had a moment, Harry stowed away his phoenix feather wand and summoned the Elder Wand. With that done, Harry allowed all of his rage, his pain, and his grief that he had suppressed over the past two months over the loss of his son to come to the surface. He no longer saw an enemy or the battle around him. All he saw was the monster that had affected his life in so many ways and was the reason for the death of one of his sons.

Harry filled his lungs with an impossible amount of air and released it in one mighty, magically amplified roar that ceased all activity on the entire battlefield. The fighting did not stop simply because of the roar, Kane had been letting roars ever since the battle had started. No, what stopped the fighting was what filled the roar. Pain, anguish, and sheer hatred caused the roar to echo endlessly through the area making everyone turn to face its source.

"Well, well, well," Voldemort hissed in his high voice that had inflicted terror in so many. All it did to Harry was confirm his target. "Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. Come to –" Voldemort's words were cut off as Harry, who was beyond words now, thrust the Elder Wand and his empty hand forward. Electricity erupted from his wand and hand, striking Voldemort's body. The man screamed in unexpected pain, causing several eyes in immediate area to widen in surprise. No one had _ever_ caused Voldemort pain before.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you talk far too much?" Harry inquired in a detached and deathly calm voice. He easily deflected a random curse from the man he was torturing before flicking his wand. Voldemort cried out in more pain as his wand arm began contorting and twisting. Another flick from Harry's wand had Voldemort's legs began to be slowly and painfully dissected.

"Harry!" Hermione called from the edge of the crowd. "What're you doing?"

"No less than what is deserved," Harry said calmly as he stalked forward, though his voice traveled to every ear into the vicinity. Hermione looked sick but had she known the reason behind Harry's actions she would likely backed up his actions. Draco knew and only wished he were doing it himself. Severus suspected and so did not interfere. Minerva was on par with Hermione in terms of shock. "Your Horcruxes are gone Riddle." Harry said savoring the look of shock and horror that consumed Voldemort's face despite the pain the man must have been experiencing. "You will never touch my family again."

With that, Harry pointed his wand at Riddle. Fire poured from the tip in a frenzy and dug its way into Voldemort's abdomen, eliciting an inhuman scream. Harry stepped back and poured all of his hatred, his grief, and his pain over Aiden's death, something that would no longer happen, into the spell. Voldemort quickly started to burn from the inside out, screaming in unimaginable pain all the while. His body twitched and convulsed as the flames destroyed his bones and burned away his flesh.

In a matter of minutes, Voldemort was gone. Not even ashes remained behind. There was quite simply nothing left of the monster that had destroyed thousands of lives. Harry stood there staring at the spot where Voldemort had been moments before, panting heavily, his rage and pain not even close to being spent. He slowly lifted his gaze towards the surrounding crowd of shocked observers. Everyone, enemy and ally alike promptly flinched drastically at the demonic gaze of Harry's green and silver eyes. Every Death Eater and even a few others, quickly dropped their wands and raised their hands, fearful of attracting such a powerful wizard's attention.

Suddenly Harry felt warm, strong arms wrap themselves around his shoulders. Recognizing the arms and the scent of roses that filled his nose, Harry started to feel himself crack. The Aurors, Unspeakables, and The Order, snapped out of their shocked daze and quickly started detaining Death Eaters as Harry's overwhelming presence started to fade. The raven haired teen stood there stiff in Draco's comforting arms for several moments, trying to remain strong, but it quickly became too much. Harry's knees gave way and tears started flowing down his face as he began truly grieving for the loss of his son. Harry had never really grieved for Aiden; despite the fact that he knew his son would live a long life now. He had simply devoted his entire attention towards destroying the target of his rage and pain.

Now that target was gone, completely and utterly destroyed, and Harry had nothing left to focus on to ignore the pain. As the last of the Death Eaters were detained and the ten or so Imperiused men and women were remanded into custody to ensure their innocence, Harry released the last of his control and fully broke down. The wards surrounding the battle sight fell as Harry started wailing in heart breaking sobs that tore at everyone who heard them. With the help of The Order, The Ministry began Apparating every detainee back to The Ministry while the Hogwarts staff and a few Unspeakables began putting the neighborhood back in order while Draco just sat in the middle of the street gently rocking Harry while crying alongside him.

"Harry," Severus said in a surprisingly soft voice. When Harry simply continued to cry into Draco's shoulder the Potions Master turned his attention to the blond. "Can you two walk? We're done here and should get back to the castle."

Proving he had indeed been listing, Harry transformed into Shadow and started padding his way over to where the Thestral had pulled the carriage safely away from the battle, which had actually lasted much longer than it had seemed to the distraught youth. Harry hopped into the carriage and onto one of the seats where he continued to mourn. Draco and Severus followed, along with Hermione. Draco picked up Harry's limp and compliant front end so he could sit down and lowered him into his lap.

"Draco," Hermione said gently when the carriage had been in the air for several minutes. "What's happened?" The witch almost regretted her words when Harry let out a painful whine accompanied with a yowling howl that pulled painfully at her heart.

"Harry," Draco said softly, gently stroking the midnight fur of his animagus lover and massaging a little behind the panther's ears. "The war is over. That future is not viable anymore. I think it is safe to tell them. It should not cause any problems." Silence filled the carriage for a minute or two before Harry gave his permission by softly licking Draco's pale cheek. So, Draco told them what had happened in the Headmistress' office all those weeks ago, confirming Severus' suspicions and breaking Hermione's heart.

"So this whole thing," Hermione said when she had regained some control over her tears. "This entire trap wasn't about stopping Voldemort. It was not even about stopping the war. All you wanted was to get at the murderer that took your child from you. Oh, Harry," the witch got up, crossed the carriage, and enveloped Shadow in a hug.

"It's why we planned it for a night on the full moon," Draco explained further. "It's the one time of the month where no one would be able to overpower Harry. The one time when no one else could match him for raw power."

"You knew everything from the beginning and yet did not say anything?" Severus said his voice betraying a slight amount of hurt. "Do neither of you trust me?"

"We trust you Severus," Draco said, looking the man straight in the eye. "But this wasn't about trust. This was about ending the man who killed our son. We did not tell you until the last minute because it was imperative that you act as natural as possible. We are both certain that the purebloods in Slytherin who did not seek sanctuary with us were leaking information to their parents. We could not risk Voldemort suspecting that something was off." Severus thought about it for several minutes before he conceded the point. Had he acted any differently because he was aware of what was going to happen then it could have destabilized everything.

"Very well," he said after a few moments of silence. "I understand. However, there are other matters that need to be tended."

"Like?" Draco questioned as he shifted slightly.

"Harry," Severus said softly, forcing the youth to look at him by waiting patiently until he did. "I know you must be in a lot of pain right now but I need you to turn back so we can talk properly." Several long minutes passed before Harry complied and returned to his human form, though he resolutely refused to leave Draco's embrace. "Now, I doubt you want to deal with this right now but it must be done. There was someone at the battle that was neither under the Imperius Curse, nor a willing Death Eater."

"Who was it then?" Harry grumbled in a broken voice. His throat was dry and scratchy from all the screaming he had done.

"Dumbledore," Severus said flatly. "He was fighting for the Death Eaters but when he was taken down and examined they found no trace of coercion. Yet, he was attacking our forces."

"Severus," Harry said. "Please get to the point. I've no wish to banter words."

"Do you remember four years ago?" Severus asked, eliciting an annoyed scowl from Harry. "When I found that potions text in the chamber and asked you to translate a section that had been written in Parseltongue?"

"You think Voldemort managed to get a hold of the potion after all?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No but I think that someone else might have stumbled upon the recipe, if not Voldemort himself," Severus said as he pulled out a few pages from his robe pocket. "I managed to convince Salazar into giving me the ingredients only and have been working on trying to find an antidote to the potion. Unfortunately, without knowing the exactly how Salazar brewed the potion there is only so much I can do."

"Brilliant," Harry grumbled darkly as he mulled over this newest piece of information with a dark scowl on his face. "I suppose it had to happen eventually. It will probably bite us in the ass but I'll translate the potion and help you brew an antidote."

"There are ways to keep this silent Harry," Severus said gently as he leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees. "We do not even know that it was that exact potion that he discovered. It could be the results of a spell other than the Imperius but I thank you for helping me Harry. Regardless of who it was used on, no one should have to endure such a thing."

"I agree." Was all Harry said before falling silent, tears making their way down his face for anyone who bothered to notice.

When the carriage landed back at Hogwarts, Harry silently gestured for the others to go into the castle without him, saying only that he needed a few minutes alone before he saw his sons and daughter again. The other's understood and left, though Draco was highly reluctant to leave Harry alone after such an ordeal and he kept glancing back at his raven haired lover before he disappeared into the castle walls. Turning from the castle, Harry marched across the grounds towards the eastern edge, the largest stretch of semi-flat grounds that Hogwarts possessed.

"Greif does not become you young one." A deep, ancient, and booming voice sounded from somewhere in the shadows. The Tenebris, ancient dragon like beings that had agreed to guard the castle, were such masters of the dark that they often mingled with it, making them appear as if they were not physically there at night. "Understandable though it may be, it rolls off you in disgusting waves of pain that hinder your talents."

"It will pass," Harry said to the air, looking up to the stars that twinkled in the heavens, almost mockingly. "And I like to think that sometimes it can enhance my talents. I came to ask something of you mighty beings."

"As expected," Another one of them said. Harry had asked their names once but they refused to tell him, saying that were they to utter their names to anyone not of their race, that person would bleed to death from their ears in a matter of moments. "We are here to guide as well as guard. Speak your thoughts and we will speak ours."

"As far as I am aware, your power knows no limits." Harry said as he lowered his head to stare out over the grounds and the endless sky beyond. "You can see, hear, and affect anything around the entire world. I need your help to determine if it is safe to lower the castle back to the earth."

"While you are correct fledgling," yet another voice sounded, this one male where the other two had been female. "Our power and knowledge is dangerous to mortal minds. We will help you as much as we can but know that the things we tell you need to be limited simply because it could be too dangerous for you to know."

"I understand." Harry said, having expected such a response.

"Good." One of the female voices sounded. "Then know that while the most obvious threat to this castle has been dealt with, your display has caused many out there to harbor fear of you. It stands to reason that they will attempt to try and usurp you from your position as owner of Hogwarts."

"I thought as much myself," Harry sighed with a slight frown on his face. Would he ever have peace? "Thank you for your counsel great ones and for your continued guard over this institution."

Harry waited a few seconds for a response but when there was none coming, he turned and walked back into the castle. The halls were empty as he calmly made his way towards his tower, where the wards had told him Draco had moved the babies too from Narcissa's rooms. When he walked into the tower he almost immediately heard crying coming from upstairs in his and Draco's bedroom along with Draco's and Narcissa's voice trying to get the babies to calm down and go to sleep. Harry smirked in amusement. No one knew how, but Harry was the only one capable of getting his kids to bed without too much of a fuss.

"Having trouble?" He asked in wry amusement when he finally made his way upstairs and into his bedroom.

"They've been like this for almost an hour." Narcissa said as she gently bounced Alice and rocked her back and forth. "I tried singing for them like I used to do for Draco but they wouldn't have any of it and kept crying."

"That's because they want their papa's song tonight," Harry said with deep affection in his voice as he picked up baby Auric from his bassinet and went over to the piano that was hiding in his room. He touched the top of the piano and dispelled the magic that Nif had placed on it to keep it concealed from the rest of the world. It was time they all saw. "They love their papa's song."

Harry made sure that Auric was securely in his lap and would not slide off before he put his hands and started playing the song he played right after Dumbledore's trial. He had realized a few weeks after the babies were born that the song was the lullaby that his mother had sang to him when he was a child and was quite frankly shocked that he had remembered it after these long years. The gentle notes floated through the room and the babies almost instantly stopped crying in order to listen in on their favorite song. Fawkes, who had been sitting on his perch watching the two have trouble with the babies, softly added his voice to the piano. Before the song was even half over, all three babies were sounds asleep, Auric lying heavily against Harry's stomach.

"Why didn't you tell me you could play the piano?" Draco asked in a whisper as he tucked a sleeping Aiden into his bassinet.

"Because I needed something for myself with my life being such an open book to the public," Harry explained softly after finishing with Auric. "I wanted something that was just mine but now it's there's too and there's no point in hiding it anymore."

Draco smiled sadly in understanding. They bid Narcissa good night and started getting ready to go to bed. Draco, however, was surprised when he got into bed after donning his pajamas. Harry pulled him close and pressed his lips against Draco's. They made out for several long, luxurious minutes until they were both well and truly aroused. When they broke apart for air Draco saw a look in Harry's eyes, a look that made him both happy and sad. It was a look that said that Harry loved him with all he had to love and one that begged for distraction.

Feeling a need for his own distraction, Draco bent down again and started nursing his lover's neck, creating a large and prominent love bite right under Harry's jaw. The blond moved lower and lower, not pausing to note that they were both naked. He took one of Harry's nipples in his mouth and began to nibble and suck, causing the dark haired boy to buck and gasp in pleasure. He repeated the process with the other nipple before he started making his way down again, leaving a trail of love bites as he went. When he reached Harry's erect seven inch member he surprised the other boy by taking it all into his mouth. He did nothing beyond enveloping Harry's cock with his mouth as he could tell that that one move had Harry on the edge so he waited until he calmed down.

When the tension in Harry's body finally eased, Draco pulled back to the point where only the head was left in his mouth. Harry had to put a pillow over his head to stifle the moan that pushed past his throat when Draco sensuously dragged his tongue over the sensitive head of his member so he did not wake the babies. Draco went down and then back up, dragging his tongue along the entire length of Harry's cock that pulsed and twitched inside his mouth. Without any real warning, Draco slicked one of his fingers and slid it inside Harry's entrance as he went back down on his lover's cock.

The action had the exact reaction he was hoping for. The second the blond's finger entered his body, Harry arched his back and came on the spot, spilling his seed down Draco's throat. Draco swallowed every bit of it and licked Harry clean before he removed his finger and came back up to lock lips with Harry again.

As they kissed, Draco rubbed his still hard member against Harry's softening one, their sweat and Draco's leaking allowing them to slide blissfully against each other. Draco ran his hand down Harry's side and hooked it under one of the brunette's legs and pulled it up towards their chests, allowing Draco to slip lower and enter his lover. Harry gasped into their kiss but there was no pain in it, just pleasure. He angled himself so Draco could more easily push in all the way. Sensitive as he was from Draco's blow job, Harry came a second time just from the feeling of utter fullness that came with Draco being all the way inside him.

Draco grinned at the second orgasm he pulled from Harry without even intending, though it nearly pushed him over the edge as well. He waited patiently for Harry to calm, biding his time by creating a mirroring hickey on the other side of Harry's neck. When the other boy at last stopped twitching, Draco pulled out a little before pushing back in, causing Harry to buck and gasp.

Despite the fact that they had been together for two and a half years and had sex already, this was only the second time they had sex, their lives having been too chaotic, between the war and raising triplets there simply had been no time for them to be with each other. As such, both were immensely enjoying their reprieve and the time they could finally spend with each other.

Feeling a little aggressive and possessive, Draco pulled out of Harry completely and flipped the other boy over before reentering. Harry was surprised but too far gone to really care about how he was being fucked. He nearly screamed in pleasure though when Draco dragged his nails across his back. He didn't do it hard and painfully. He did it just enough to create a contrasting sensation to everything else. Then Draco hooked an arm across Harry's torso and pulled him up so they were chest to back, kneeling on the bed with Draco buried deep inside Harry.

Draco started mouthing Harry's neck where it met his shoulders as he continued to pump in and out of Harry. He kept Harry pinned against his chest with one arm while the other smoothly dragged against Harry's skin and went down to grip Harry's erection. The gasp that escaped Harry's lips was muffled by Draco's hand as he put it over the other boy's mouth, predicting that delicious sound and not wanting to wake the babies. He lowered it a moment later and started playing with one of Harry's nipples.

Feeling that they were both nearing their climax, Draco indulged himself and bit down on Harry's neck/shoulder area hard enough to leave a mark. The action sent both of them over the edge and they came at the same time. In spite of the fact that he had already had two orgasms that night, Harry ended up spilling his seed all over the bedding in front of him, including the pillows while Draco continued to empty himself into the deepest recesses of Harry's body. So much did Draco pump into Harry that some started to leak out around Draco and down Harry's thigh even as he continued to cum.

Exhausted and spent, the two lovers collapsed forward onto the bed, neither caring about Harry's seed on the sheets nor noticing that Harry's magic had cleaned the mess up already. Draco rolled them both onto their side and pulled the covers over them and promptly fell asleep with Harry right behind him, neither of them noticing that Draco was still buried inside Harry.

–Scene Break–

Lucius Malfoy stood in the abandoned Riddle house that had been his master's base of operations since his second resurrection and silently fumed. He had not gone with Voldemort to pin down and kill Potter, as had been the plan when the parents of one of the students at Hogwarts had let it slip that the brat would be accompanying that traitor Severus to inform a mudblood and their parents about magic. Therefore, he had not been captured along with every last single Death Eater that made up their ranks, with the exception of Crouch Jr., who in his mind did not count since the fool was a muggle now. Lucius had stayed behind because his injuries would have him dead in less than a minute and Voldemort did not want his right hand man captured or killed should there be any resistance.

Now, Voldemort was gone, permanently, and the blond aristocrat had no more ally's to call on. They were all either dead, captured, or believed him missing. Lucius had not gone straight back into the public eye for two reasons. One, it gave him easier maneuverability to work for his lord and two, his appearance and injuries would cause more than one person within the ministry to dismiss him as irrelevant since he could barely cast spells anymore. Then there was the fact that he was no longer Lord Malfoy. The minute that strange panther had nearly killed him, the wards and ancient magic of the Malfoy bloodline immediately transferred all status' that he possessed, excepting being a Death Eater, to his son. He could not enter or even approach Malfoy Manor without being rejected and the current Lord being alerted.

Lucius stared into the fire, trying to figure out how to salvage the situation.

–Scene Break–

To say that the Ministry was overwhelmed would be like saying an ant was small. The aftermath of the battle was not as chaotic as most believed it would be. The display that Harry had put on had shaken the very foundations of everyone present and none of the Death Eater's had dared to fight back with such a powerful and volatile person in the vicinity that was considered their enemy. To be frank, some of them were glad to be locked up and away from what they deemed to be a terrifying monster.

Amelia Bones had been present and while Harry had indeed caused her to stare in wonder, she dismissed everyone else's statements that the boy was a danger to the rest of society. She had recognized the pain she saw on the boy's face when he finally broke down. She had seen it once before, the pain of a parent who had lost a child. She was not sure how that was possible given that the rumors she had heard of Harry having children spoke nothing of him having and then losing a child.

Regardless though, everyone in the ministry was talking over how the boy was a danger if he was not controlled. The Minister, who was not at the battle, was quickly becoming fearful as he listened to the whispers spreading through the Ministry.

Amelia shook her head in weary disgust. She truly pitied anyone who dared to try and go against that boy now. He had trumped not only the darkest wizard of their age but the man who had defeated the last Dark Lord as well, on top of defending an entire school full of children from both the Dark Lord and the Ministry. It truly amazed her how blind people could be.

–Scene Break–

Harry woke the next morning to a strange feeling, one that completely and utterly baffled him. The arms around him and the body behind him was no mystery, he had woken up next to Draco countless times now. What had him baffled were the sensations coming from his backside. He felt completely full but it was not like he had to go to the bathroom or anything. Realization dawned on him a moment later when Draco shifted behind him and caused pleasure to radiate from that point in his body and his morning erection to twitch. The memory of last night came back to him and he realized that they had both slept through the entire night with Draco still buried inside him. Harry couldn't believe it and just laid there in shock… or he would have anyways.

When Draco had shifted in his sleep he moaned in pleasure and shifted again and again. He remained sleeping as he continued to shift before he quite simply started to fuck Harry in his sleep. Harry, truly not complaining really, shifted to allow the blond better access as he continued moving in and out of Harry, still not waking up. Harry started moaning and grunting in time with Draco's thrusts and his hand made its way lower, intent on gripping himself, only to be stopped by Draco. The blond, finally having woken up, took Harry's member in his hand and started massaging it while simultaneously moving a little faster in and out of Harry.

"G' morning," Draco mumbled passionately before turning Harry's head enough to kiss him full on the mouth. Harry moaned in response.

At that exact moment one of the babies made a noise. Harry froze but Draco continued what he was doing, though he tried to be quieter even as he moved faster. Another noise came from the babies and Draco moved even faster, intent on finishing before they woke up completely and required his and Harry's attention. Realizing what Draco was trying to do, Harry tried to help. He wrapped his hand around Draco's and moved it in a certain pattern that caused his pleasure to spike and he started flexing the muscles in his rear. In a matter of moments they were both climaxing just as the babies started moving and mewling in their bassinets.

"Talk about a wakeup call." Harry joked as he slipped off Draco and turned around to give him a proper kiss.

The blond laughed in amusement and enjoyed the kiss before they were forced to get up and tend to the babies. They took the triplets into the bathroom where they all showered. When they were all sparkling clean and the babies giggling at their father's, Harry and Draco dressed themselves and the babies before leaving for the Great Hall for breakfast. They greeted their friends with happy smiles. The sun shone down through the rafters as they ate and entertained the babies. The castle hummed and shone with merriment. Life was finally starting to look good.


End file.
